How to Read and Date Ancient Roman Coins: A Step-by-Step Collector’s Guide

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Introduction – From Mystery to Meaning

When a new collector holds their first ancient coin, they often whisper the same question:

“How do I even read this thing?”

It’s a fair question. A Roman coin might look chaotic — Latin abbreviations circling a crowned profile, mythic figures on the back, and cryptic marks below.

But once you learn to read it, you’ll see what seasoned numismatists see: a historical document.

Every Roman coin records a moment in time — the emperor’s name, his power titles, his victories, even the mint city where it was struck.
Learning to read and date them turns collecting into time travel.

💬 Each Roman coin is a page torn from the empire’s diary.

🪙 Step 1 – Start with the Obverse (Front)

The obverse almost always shows the emperor or empress. It tells you who issued the coin — and roughly when.

What to Look For

Example:

IMP CAESAR NERVA TRAIAN AVG
= Emperor Nerva Trajan Augustus → Dates coin between AD 98–117.

💬 The obverse is the emperor’s introduction — name, rank, and divine claim.

🏛️ Step 2 – Examine the Reverse (Back)

The reverse reveals the empire’s message — victories, virtues, gods, or peace.

Common Reverse Themes

Collector’s Tip: Reverse types changed frequently, often marking events like a military win or imperial anniversary — use them to narrow dating.

💬 If the obverse is who ruled, the reverse is what they wanted the world to believe.

✍️ Step 3 – Decode the Inscriptions

The key to dating Roman coins lies in their titles and abbreviations.

Common patterns include:

Example:

IMP TRAIANVS AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI PP
→ Indicates Trajan after his Dacian campaigns, c. AD 112–117.

🧩 Step 4 – Identify the Mint Mark

By the 3rd century AD, Roman coins often included mint marks, especially under the reform of Diocletian and Constantine.

Placement: Usually found in the exergue (the space below the reverse figure).

💬 Mint marks are Roman GPS — they pinpoint where your coin was born.

🏺 Step 5 – Date the Coin

Once you know the emperor and his titles, you can match them to his reign years.

Example:

• Emperor: Hadrian

• Inscription: TR P COS III
  → TR P (tribunician power renewed yearly), COS III (3rd consulship).
  According to the Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC) catalogue, that corresponds to AD 119–122.

Resources for Dating

• 📘 RIC (Roman Imperial Coinage) series

• 📗 Seaby’s Roman Coins and Their Values by David R. Sear

• 🌐 Online: WildWinds, CoinArchives, OCRE (Online Coins of the Roman Empire)

🧠 Matching titles to years is the archaeologist’s trick for precise dating.

🔍 Step 6 – Use Metal and Denomination as Clues

The coin’s metal and size also help date it within a ruler’s reign:

💬 Metal tells economy; size tells century.

📊 Step 7 – Cross-Reference Portrait Style

Artistic style evolves by era:

• Early empire → realistic portraits (wrinkles, expression)

• High empire → idealized (divine perfection)

• Late empire → abstract, frontal busts (spiritual authority)

By comparing portrait style, you can confirm the century even if inscriptions are worn.

🎨 Every emperor’s face reflects the politics of his time.

⚖️ Step 8 – Verify Authenticity and Condition

Before finalizing any identification:

1. Compare lettering with RIC or WildWinds entries.

2. Look for style mismatches (wrong bust + wrong inscription).

3. Check weight and diameter — fakes often deviate by ±10%.

Pro Tip:
Graded coins from NGC Ancients include the emperor’s full name, reign years, and mint attribution — an ideal learning tool for new collectors.

💰 Real Examples from Collections

🔗 Internal NumisDon Connections

• Roman Coin Symbols and Their Meanings

• Roman Coin Inscriptions and Abbreviations

• Roman Denarius – Silver, Empire, and Power

• How to Identify and Authenticate Ancient Coins

• Roman Coin Values: A Collector’s Guide

💬 FAQs – Reading and Dating Roman Coins

Q1. How do I start reading Roman coins as a beginner?
Begin with the obverse. Identify the emperor’s name and titles — that’s your foundation.

Q2. What’s the fastest way to date a Roman coin?
Match the emperor’s titles (TRP, COS, IMP) to reign years in RIC.

Q3. Are all inscriptions in Latin?
Mostly, yes — though Greek appears in eastern provinces.

Q4. Can worn coins still be dated?
Yes, by comparing portrait style, reverse type, and metal denomination.

Q5. What tools help identify coins?
A magnifying glass (×10), digital scale, caliper, and RIC or WildWinds database.

🏺 Conclusion – Reading Time in Silver and Bronze

Once you learn to read and date Roman coins, you realize they’re more than artifacts — they’re time stamps.
Each mark, from IMP to SC, anchors the coin in a precise moment of Roman history.

To read one is to walk through time — not as an observer, but as a participant holding the past in your palm.

💬 A true collector doesn’t just own coins — they read history in metal.

Author: Dr. Elena Voss – Roman Numismatics & Archaeological Dating Expert