The legendary denarius coin was originally made of varying degrees of silver fineness, from a high of nearly 100% in the good ole days, to a low of 30%, until they finally gave up the ghost and reduced the denarius to a light bronze coin. Originally valued at 10 asses, the nominal value of the denarius degraded along with the silver content. Starting with Gordian III and by the time of Aurelian, the denarius tended to have been replaced entirely by the Antoninianus, or double denarius, which now basically took the place of the denarius. By Aurelian and after, denarii continued to be minted in very small quantities - there wasn't much point, as the buying power was so low. Sort of like how the US and UK no longer produce half cents or half pennies - they could, but why? At this point, the denarius tended to be used as a unit of account and no longer as a unit of sale; ie the term denarius became used as the word "money" (dinero, diner, dinar, and other various language terms for "money" can be traced to the old Roman denarius. Apparently the denarius lived on until the Tetrarchy, but the last reasonably commonly circulating denarii seems to have been the Aurelian bronze issue. These are not super common, but not rare, and are not very expensive. I've been wanting one of these for ages, but never wanted to pay the $50-$75 for a good example. Thus, we come to now when I took a gamble on a random Spanish seller. My luck was true and I spent only $15 on an Aurelian denarius, which I think is a deal and a half. Please show your last denarii!
I was not actually looking for this coin, but for a nice silvered antoninianus of Aurelian. So when a seller on ebay posted this coin as 'denarius', I was skeptical and thought he just didn't know the term antoninianus, but upon looking closer I saw the laureate head, rather than a radiate crown. Then, I looked up and turns out it is indeed a denarius, and not only that but the last ever denomination of the denarius ever minted, and it is not as common as the radiate coins! and with a price tag of just around 8 bucks, I jumped right in!
Nice coin! I am in the same boat as you were. I have probably 60 Aurelian coins but none of these denari yet. When I find them, they’re either more than I want to spend for the type or rough. Finding the balance is a challenge. Good capture!
Both great deals. They may not be rare, but I don't see them that often, especially at that price level. My "last" denarii are these two ordinary Gordian III's, from 35 years earlier: They may be debased, but still look like they have more silver than this Gordian III/Apollo ant issued a couple of years later: The two denarii weigh 3.59 and 2.7 g., respectively, while the ant weighs 4.67 -- bigger, but not twice the size!
The last in my collection is: MAXIMINUS I AR Denarius OBVERSE: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right REVERSE: VICTORIAAVG - Victory advancing right, holding wreath and palm Struck at Rome, 235-236 AD March - January 2.8g, 21mm RIC 16, BMC 25, C 99
Historically important coins, @hotwheelsearl. Glad you were able to add one to your collection. Aurelian revived the denomination as part of his monetary reform of AD 274, and it was -- like the new antoninianus (sometimes called the "Aurelianus") -- a silvered but heavily debased coin. Denarii for Aurelian were struck in Rome, Mediolanum, Serdica, Siscia, and Cyzicus and come in a variety of reverse types, although the VICTORIA AVG is by far the most common of these. In contrast, those for Severina were struck in Rome only and only with the VENVS FELIX reverse type. There are only five varieties of this type, distinguished only by the markings in the exergue. Here are one of each, struck during the same issue by the same officina in the Rome mint (numbered sequentially in MER/RIC and in the La Venera and CNB catalogs). Aurelian, AD 270-275. Roman billon denarius, 1.66 g, 15.7 mm, 11 h. Rome mint, officina 5, issue 11, early – September AD 275. Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: VICTORIA AVG, Victory walking left, holding wreath and palm; at feet to left, a bound and seated captive; –/–//∈. Refs: RIC 73 var.; MER/RIC temp 1680; Cohen 255 var.; RCV 11643; CBN 283-84; La Venera 1508-9. Severina, AD 270-275. Roman billon denarius, 2.52 g, 18.8 mm, 6 h. Rome mint, officina 5, issue 11, early – September AD 275. Obv: SEVERINA AVG, diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: VENVS FELIX, Venus standing left, holding unidentified object (perfume box, apple?) and long scepter; –/–//∈. Refs: RIC 6; MER/RIC 1861; Cohen 14; RCV 11710; CBN 285-86; La Venera 1510-11.
what took the Romans centuries to achieve, we just did it under a couple of decades for all the countries in the world after WWII to debase silver coinage to base metal!
@Roman Collector's post reminded me that I actually do have a denarius later than Gordian III; I had completely forgotten about it: Severina (wife of Aurelian), billon Denarius, 270-275 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Diademed, draped bust right, SEVERINA AVG / Rev. Venus Felix stdg. left holding apple(?) & sceptre, VENVS FELIX. In exergue: Γ [gamma] (Rome, Officina 3). RIC V-1 6, Cohen 14, Sear RCV III 11709. 19 mm., 2.1 g.
I guess the MER/RIC number for mine would be 1857; see http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/1857. As with @Roman Collector's, it would be issue 11, dating to early – September 275.
My last denarius is from Ticinum july 284, maybe one of the last? IMP CARINVS P AVG, Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right PAX AVGG, Pax walking left, holding olivebranch and sceptre 19mm, 2.5gr, Die 0
Super grab at that price! Lovely obverse details especially. My last are the matching pair of Aurelian and Severina: (The Severina was a happy surprise in a ~$5/coin lot from Roma!) It is also worth mentioning that they minted the last circulating AE coins prior to Diocletian's reforms; metrologically they are asses (~8-11g, 22-25mm) but it makes more sense that they would be reduced sestertii, or perhaps another denomination, if Aurelian's reforms can't be nearly expressed in pre-reform terms. I had done some research into the denarius in the post-Gordian era: - Philip I, Otacilia Severa, and Philip II minted them; they are extremely rare - Decius and family did not mint them (despite minting the full gamut of AE coinage, including the last-ever imperial semis) - Gallus and Volusian did not mint them - Aemilian did not mint them - Uranius Antoninus minted them (which lends credence to the theory that he may have usurped earlier than the 250s) - Valerian, Gallienus and family minted them early in their reigns, possibly for limited circulation (they are the second most affordable after Aurelian) - Postumus minted them, possibly as off-strikes from aureus dies - Victorinus minted them, struck from aureus dies - Tetricus I and II minted them - Claudius II minted them - Aurelian and Severina minted them for limited circulation - Tacitus and Florian minted them - Probus minted them - Carus, Carinus, and Numerian minted them - Carausius famously minted them in fine silver in limited numbers but a wide variety of artistically interesting designs - Diocletian and Maximian minted them, and I believe Constantius and Galerius did as well (albeit easy to confuse with post-reform laureate fractions if no silvering is present) - It is uncertain whether the "Denarius Communis" correlated to an actual post-reform coin, or simply an accounting unit. - The Argenteus I believe was called the denarius argenteus by the ancient Romans, and I believe that the VLPP coinage was the last issuance of that - I have one that is struck in solid billon rather than silvered AE
My last Denarius is probly Balbinus... RI Balbinus 238 CE AR Denarius 20mm 3.7g Rome Laureate draped cuirasses - Victory wreath palm RIC 8
Wow, thanks so much for that awesome info. I never knew most of that, especially those later denarius issuers
For the record, Aurelian also issued AE coins usually called sestertii but by that time they were smaller than what we think of as as size.
