Good morning. I have not posted for a bit due to being unwell and not getting out detecting but I'm getting better . I went out first time this weekend and found two roman coins a silver denarius and quite a large chunky coin . I'm not very clued up on roman coins like I am with hammered coins so I'm looking for an identification if possible please and thank you .
Your first coin is Volusian AD 251-253 Ӕ sestertius IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. LIBERTAS AVG; Libertas standing left, holding pileus and sceptre , S-C across fields. RIC IV Rome 255 your second coin is Elagabalus A.D. 218- 222 AR Denarius IMP CAES ANTONINVS AVG; laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. VICTOR ANTONINI AVG; Victory running right, holding wreath. RIC IV Rome 153
Cool finds! That's awesome. I'm a complete noob to roman coinage but have been collecting and reading about them this summer. I understand the inscriptions much better than I did. The larger one is likely a sestertius, worth one quarter of a denarius. These were commonly used in commerce. I can't make out the inscription on that but the portrait looks like Severus Alexander to me. An expert may chime in and say I'm completely wrong but that's my theory. The denarius, unfortunately, the most critical part of the inscription at roughly 10 to 12 o'clock around the portrait is severely corroded. As much as I can make out on it is " IMP CA*S** ANTONINUS AUG" Several emperors had ANTONINUS in the end of their inscription so that part doesn't completely narrow it down but the portrait itself eliminates some of the options. If it's a short lived, lesser known one it may be fairly valuable. Maybe I should recognize it and somebody will come along and I'll feel like a fool but I can't ID it off the cuff. Edit: Ok, never mind my ramblings. Looks like it was answered above. I thought the denarius could be Elegabalus but I wasn't sure the portrait looked right. He had a short reign so it's more valuable than some of the other more common ones.
