On this page you might find some helpful information regarding roman coins such as a list of Mints and timeline of Roman Denominations. Rome's history was a long one and as with most societies you can trace Rome's history through its coinage; the value, the metal content, and the subject matter of the coin among other things. You can usually tell what kind of coin it is and an get an estimate of the date it was minted by its weight, metal content, or portrait and you might even be able to tell where it was minted by mint marks or just by the style. A great resource for identifying coins is www.wildwinds.com , there you will find a huge database of coins with pictures to make comparisons but only with time and study will the process of attributing coins become an easier task, the more coins you see of each emperor or time period the easier it will be to identify the coin.
 
Metal Content
AV = gold
AR = silver
AE = bronze / brass / copper
CU = copper
Billion = silver debased with tin or copper
 
 
Early Republic Denominations
Sizes and weights varied
As - 12 Unica
Semis - 6 Unica
Triens - 4 Unica
Quadrans - 3 Unica
Sextans - 2 Unica
Unica - (Base Unit 12th of an As) Roughly 27 gm
 
Early Imperial
Aureus - AV - 7.8gm / 20mm / Worth: 25 Denarii
Quinarius - AV - 4gm / 15mm / Worth: 15.5 Denarii
Denarius - AR - 3.8gm / 19mm / Worth:16 Asses
Quinarius - AR - 2gm / 15mm / Worth: 8 Asses
Sestersius - AE (brass)  - 25+gm / 25+mm / Worth: 4 Asses
Dupondius - AE (brass) - 12gm / 18mm / Worth: 2 Asses
As - AE (copper) - 11gm / 24+mm / Worth: Base Unit
Semis - AE (brass) - 4gm / 18mm / Worth: 1/2 As
Quadrans - AE (copper) - 3gm / 15mm / Worth: 1/4 As
 
Addition by Emperor Caracalla (215 A.D.)
Antoninianus - AR or Billion - 6gm / 20+mm / Worth: 2 Denarii
 
Diocletian Monetary Reform (294 A.D.)
Sizes and metal content fluctuates
Aureus - AV - (size varies) / Worth: Gold Content
Quinarius - AV - (size varies) / Worth Gold Content
Argenteus - AR - 3gm / 18mm / Worth: 5 Follis
Follis - AE (low % Silver) - 10gm / 25mm / Worth: 10 Radiates
Radiate - AE (bronze) - 3.8gm / 20+mm
 
Constantine Monetary Reform (318 A.D.)
Sizes and metal content fluctuates
Solidus - AV - 4.5gm / Worth: 24 Siliquae
Semissis - AV - 2.2gm / Worth: 12 Siliquae
Scripulum - AV - 1.7gm / Worth: 9 Siliquae
Miliarense - AR - 4.5gm / Worth: 1/18 Solidus
Siliquae - AR - 3.5gm / Worth: 1/24 Solidus (base unit)
AE1 - AE (Bronze) - 25+mm
AE2 - AE (Bronze) - 21-25mm
AE3 - AE (Bronze) - 17-21mm
AE4 - AE (Bronze) - 17mm



 

 

List of Roman Mints
Alexandria, (Egypt)
Ambianum, (France)
Antioch/Antiochia, (Syria)
Aquileia, (Italy)
Arelatum/Constantina, (France)
Barcino, (Spain)
Caesara, (Israel)
Camulodunum, (England)
Carthage, (North Africa)
Clausentum, (England)
Constantinopolis, (Turkey)
Cyzicus, (Turkey)
Emesa, (Syria)
Heraclea, (Turkey)
Londinium, (England)
Lugdunum, (France)
Mediolanum, (Italy)
Nicomedia, (Turkey)
Ostia, (Italy)
Ravenna, (Italy)
Rome, (Italy)
Serdica, (Bulgaria)
Sirmium, (Serbia)
Siscia, (Croatia)
Thessalonica, (Greece)
Ticinum, (Italy)
Treveri, (Germany)
Viminacium, (Yugoslavia)