Ancient Coins 8/13 - Littleton Coin Company

FOLLIS “Nummus”: Emperor Diocletian first minted the follis, abronze coin with a minute amount of silver (usually a wash),around A.D. 294. Because of the chaotic state of the Empire,it rapidly underwent changes, decreasing in size and weight.REDUCED FOLLIS: Through time, economic changes forced areduction in size and weight of the bronze follis. It was graduallyreduced under Constantine, and eventually replaced after the endof the Constantinian Era.DENARIUS: This standard silver coin of the Roman Empire depictedan emperor wearing a laurel wreath. First issued around211 B.C., it started with 5% alloy, and over the years the alloy wasincreased, until by the reign of Septimius Severus it reached 45%.The denarius disappeared from circulation around the time ofGordian III (A.D. 238-244).ANTONINIANUS “Double Denarius”: Caracalla first minted theantoninianus around A.D. 211. It is named for him:M. Aurelius Antoninus “Caracalla.” This silver coin shows theemperor wearing a “radiate crown” as opposed to the laurelwreath of the denarius. Starting with 40% silver, this coinwas gradually debased to a silver wash. Finally, it was abolishedduring the reign of Constantine the Great (A.D. 307-337).SILIQUA: A small silver coin first issued by Diocletian, originallycalled the argenteus. Later reintroduced as a siliqua underConstantine the Great, this coin weighed 1/96th of a Romanpound, but its exact place in the monetary system and its value arenot known.AUREUS “Golden”: Standard gold coin of the Roman Empire. Firstissued regularly under Julius Caesar around 46 B.C. Although itwas reduced in weight, through time, the gold content remainedconsistently high. The aureus circulated until A.D. 309 whenConstantine the Great replaced it.SOLIDUS: Gold coin minted by Constantine the Great, replacing andweighing less than the aureus. This coin, later struck by theByzantines, endured for seven centuries as a circulating goldcoin used for commerce in Europe.To assist the reader in coin identification, every efforthas been made to present actual-size photographs.7