The majority of ancient coins are dated simply from the reign of the emperor who minted them in his likeness - fortunately, many were short reigns. Others can be dated from the Imperial title. The three most prominent means of such a determination are by 1) the TR P 2) the COS 3) the IMP. The tribunician power was granted to the Emperor for his lifetime, but it was renewed annually. When it was so renewed, each renewal would be indicated by placing a number after the TR P. But there were exceptions to this procedure; so examining the dates of his consulship and the dates or years in which he received the title of Imperator would help confirming the facts. COS was the abbreviation of Consul. Very often, the Emperor served as one of the two consuls of the Roman state. Frequently, however, he designated another to serve in his stead. Inasmuch as any and all consulships were for one years only, and further, since the Romans used the same system of using numerals after the COS, it is often possible to determine the date of a coin by the COS. The outstanding difficulty in using the consul number by itself, however, lies in the fact that quite frequently a period of year passed before an Emperor would pick up the consulship again. Here is a Vespasian As example. The obverse legend reads IMP CAESAR VESP AVG COS VII. Consul for the 7th time corresponds to year 76 AD. Another one: Severus Alexander sestertius reading PM TR P XII COS III. We know that in his 13 years of reign, he had three COS; not a very useful detail. But we also know that when he died in 235 AD, he was in the course of TR P XIIII [14]. Since my coin is dated TR P XII [12], we can surely put the date of its minting in 233 AD. The third way to find the date of your coins may be found in the IMP part of the legend. It was referred to is that title which we have called the IMP by acclamation. It should be recalled that the Emperor added numbers after this title, to designate extraordinary events or victories in the field by his commanders. Sadly, it is necessary to say that the coins of the later empire had practically none of the titles which we have been discussing earlier, so dating them precisely can sometimes be a good challenge. In this other example of Marcus Aurelius sestertius, the legend is: TRP XXIX IMP VIII COS III. When we compare our three "clues", we can immediately see that the COS won't be useful. But we know that when he died in 180 AD, he was in the course of his XXXIIII [34th] TR P (so XXIX [29] indicates 175 AD). About the time he was Emperor, IMP VIII is dated in the year 175, so we have a double confirmation. Two exceptional Roman coins are dated ab urbe condita, after the founding datation of Rome. Tradition has it that the city's birthday falls on the eleventh day before the May calends (April 21), at the same time as the spring festival of Parilia. The year of the foundation (between 813 and 728 BC) was more disputed, before the date of April 21, 753 was adopted. The first, struck under Hadrian, exists in gold and bronze. The legend, ANN DCCCLXXIIII NAT VRB P CIR CON (Anno 874 Natalis Urbis Primum Circenses Constituit) dates the type to the year 874 (i.e. 121 AD). On this date, before embarking on a four-year tour of the Empire, Hadrian wanted to honor his capital, and he organized particularly elaborate games (including chariot races), which replaced the traditional archaic celebrations. The new Golden Age celebrated by this coinage began with these entertainments, and the distribution of largesse - certainly in the form of these specimens. CNG picture As for Pacatien (248-249 AD), he issued silver Antonines to Viminacium (in Moesia). The legend ROMAE AETER AN MIL ET PRIMO, indicates that it dates from the millennium of Rome, in the year 1001 (i.e. 248 AD). A victorious soldier, son of a soldier, of a senatorial family, Pacatien was supported by the troops (until the attack of Trajan Decius), and he embodied the restorer of the Empire - like this money type underlines it. CNG picture The presence of a date (in the Roman calendar) on these two monetary types make them extremely rare exceptions. Please show me your favorite "DATED COINS".
Very informative and interesting write-up, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix! I have many, so I'll just show a few that illustrate the various ways of dating. Year of the city: Faustina Jr., 147-175 Roman provincial Æ 19.8 mm, 5.32 gm Samaria, Neapolis, AD 161/162 Obv: ΦΑVCΤЄΙΝΑΝ CЄΒΑCΤΗΝ, bare-headed and draped bust, right Rev: ΦΛ ΝЄΑC ΠΟΛЄѠC CVΡ ΠΑΛЄ, cultus-statue, resembling Ephesian Artemis, standing facing, flanked by stags; her head-dress surmounted by small temple; across field, ЄΤ-Ϟ (= year 90 of the Era of Neapolis = AD 161/162) Refs: SGI 1801v; BMC 67-69. Domitian, AD 81-96, and Domitia, AD 82-96. Roman provincial Æ 24 mm, 9.45 g. Cilicia, Anazarbus, city year 112 = AD 93/4. Obv: ΑΥΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΘΕ ΥΙ ΔΟΜΙΤΙΑΝΟΣ ΣΕ ΓΕΡ, laureate head of Domitian, right; behind, star. Rev: ΚΑΙΣΑΡΕΩΝ ΔΟΜΕΤΙΑ ⳞΕΒΑⳞΤΗ, ΙΒ-Ρ (in field; = year 112 of the city), draped bust of Domitia, left. Refs: RPC II 1749; SNG France 2019-20; BMC 9; Ziegler 76 (obv 1/rev 3); SNG Levante 1374. Notes: Double die match to RPC specimen (Roma Numismatics XVIII, 29 Sept. 2019, lot 758 (ex Künker 236, 7 Oct. 2013, lot 1025)) and the SNG Levante plate coin. Year of the reign: Faustina Jr, AD 161-175. Billon Tetradrachm, 13.82 g, 23.2 mm. Alexandria, AD 148/9. Obv: ΦΑΥCΤΙΝΑ CЄΒΑCΤΗ, pearl-diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: L ΔѠΔЄΚΑΤΟΥ (regnal year 12 of Antoninus Pius), Dikaiosyne seated left, holding scales and cornucopiae. Refs: Köln 1944; Dattari 3238; BMC 1317; Emmett 1938. Gallienus, AD 253-268. Roman billon tetradrachm, 8.70 g, 23 mm. Egypt, Alexandria, AD 266/7.Obv: AVT K Π ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHNOC CЄB, laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Homonoia standing left, raising hand and holding double cornucopia; L IΔ (= regnal year 14) before, palm frond behind. Refs: Dattari (Savio) 5246; BMCG 2186; Cologne 2937; Milne 4136; RCV 10580; Emmett 3816.14; K&G 90.93. Year by titulature: This can be narrowed down to a period of a few months by its titles: Nerva, AD 96-98 Roman AR denarius, 16 mm, 3.39 g Rome, Sept-Dec AD 97 Obv: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P II COS III P P, laureate head right Rev: IVSTITIA AVGVST: Justitia, draped, seated right on low backed chair, feet on stool, holding long straight scepter in right and branch extended in left Refs: RIC 30; Cohen 103. Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.46 g, 32.3 mm, 12 h. Rome, December 159 - December 160. Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXIII, laureate head, right. Rev: PIETATI AVG COS IIII, Pietas, standing facing, head left, holding globe in extended right hand and child on left arm; on either side of her, small girl standing, raising one hand. Refs: RIC 1031; BMCRE 2088-90; Cohen 621; Strack 1192; RCV 4205. Notes:RIC 1002 and BMCRE 2062 are misdescribed by Mattingly in both RIC3 and BMCRE4. It is extremely doubtful that any specimens read TR P XXII on obv., but actually read TR P XXIII with the final "I" being merged with the neck truncation.
Some of my dated Roman coins Nerva COS III- 97 AD Trajan COS II- 98 AD Lucius Verus TRP III IMP II COS III- 163 AD Septimius Severus, with no clear indicaton of dating, 200 AD (Although he got the title Parthicus Maximus in 198 AD) Islamic dated coins: Umayyad Calipahte, year of 96, 715 AD Both of these coins of Akbar date 1586! Akbar rupee Akbar Dam And my oldest Gregorian dated coin, Lithuanian Zygmunt I halfgroat- 1511 AD.
Hadrian, AE drachm, Nilos reclining. Egypt, Alexandria - Hadrian. (117-138) Year 127-128 Type: AE Drachm, 32mm 24.42 grams Obverse: AVT KAI TPAI AAPIA CEB, Laureate draped and cuirassed bust right Reverse: LDW (delta) EK in exergue, Nilos reclining left upon a crocodile, holding cornucopia and reed, Genius emerging from the cornucopia and pointing at letters IS in upper field Reference: Milne 1269
Sometimes however there are coins that break the dating conventions. The following coin of Septimius Severus from Alexandria is one such coin. Obv:- IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG, Laureate head right Rev:- TR P IIII IMP II COS, Mars standing right, resting on spear and shield Minted in Alexandria, A.D. 194 References:- BMCRE -, RIC -, RSC -. cf. RIN (Rivista Italiana di Nvmismatica Vol. XCVI (1994/1995) 2.59g. 18.71mm. 0o I have the following note from Curtis Clay on this coin.... "This type was clearly struck in 194, when Septimius was TR P II and IMP III or IIII, so TR P IIII IMP II in the rev. legend is an error, the origin of which is obvious: the type is a rote copy of the identical type and legend on denarii of Lucius Verus of 164, Cohen 228-9. The titles apply to Lucius in 164, not Septimius in 194!" Martin
Very informative write up, with some great coins. Now for something completely different, as they used to say on Monty Python. A while back I got a sestertius of Domitian in an eBay lot. It is unidentifiable (at least by me) including a worn-away reverse figure. However, the only remaining bit of legend (DES VIII) gave me a specific date for this slug (thanks to information I found on a @dougsmit website). Here it is: Domitian Æ Sestertius (81 A.D. - 8th designated consulship) Rome Mint Laureate bust right, all legends worn away / Occluded standing figure (?), all legends worn away except DES VIII. "Domitian announced 8th Consulship on January 1, 82." (Doug Smith website) (24.23 grams / 33 mm) eBay Aug. 2018 Lot @ $1.90
Hopefully others will contribute to this thread. Very interesting. Maybe the forum members can contribute their treasures so that we can see how many years we can cover.
