This was in the inheritance box and all it says is "Roman Coin 1800 - 2100 years old"... any idea what it is or if it's worth anything? Hopefully I took clear enough pics.. no clue if anyone can even recognize it as a coin. Lol. And the last pic is for size comparison . Thank you for your time!
Late Roman bronze, I can't make out the emperor. The reverse appears to be Victory Crowning Emperor type. Constantinople mint.
What @Justin Lee said. It's likely from the 4th century (circa 300s AD), so more like 1,600-1,700 years old rather than "1800-2100". These are very common and in this condition, usually not worth more than a couple of dollars at most. It is, however, a real Roman coin, so you've got the history there.
At this point there is no way you can hurt the coin by handling it. Take it out of its holder and try to imagine all the people who have also held it in their hands just as you are doing now. What did they use it for? What language did they speak? What were they wearing? What were their lives like? Great inspiration for a short story.
Sound advice. Ancient bronze like this has centuries of patina, so it can be safely handled and enjoyed. If you do choose to leave it in that holder, get a pair of pliers and cinch those staples flat on the back! Uncrimped staples like that are really nasty, and a potentially tragic scratch hazard to your other coins.
The reverse legend is VIRTVS EXERCITI. These types were issued by Honorius and Arcadius from roughly 395-401AD. They were minted at 6 mints across mostly the eastern empire.
Honorius Arcadius VIRTVS EXERCITI means, I believe, "Virtue of the Armies". Coins were propaganda tools in Roman times, and Roman emperors often pandered to the army when bestowing honors. (They had to, since being emperor was really riding the razor's edge. Emperors were often assassinated by their own troops, and replaced by someone else the army chose as successor.)
I wish I had a million coins to post on this subject because I love every single comment from you fine people. Thank you all for your responses. I love this site!!!
Maybe just pick up another one for $10-20 and post it... We'd love to keep sharing and discussing with you!
