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Message:: [QUOTE="Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, post: 7636361, member: 99554"]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. [ATTACH=full]1313437[/ATTACH] 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. [ATTACH=full]1313438[/ATTACH] 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. [ATTACH=full]1313436[/ATTACH] 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. [ATTACH=full]1313439[/ATTACH] 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. [ATTACH=full]1313440[/ATTACH] 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".[/QUOTE]

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