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| Coins of Roman Britain – 1st and 2nd Centuries |
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Many different denomination of coins were issued for use in the Roman Empire, but only a relatively small section found their way to Britain.
The sestertius was actually introduced as a silver coin at the same time as the denarius. It was only issued intermittently, however, until it was struck as a base-metal coin under Augustus.
The Portable Antiquities Scheme website has a very good section on identifying Roman Coinage which you can find here
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| Denarius |
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A silver coin, of about 20mm in diameter, issued from before 200BC to about 280 AD , making it the longest surviving denomination of the Roman Empire. During this period , the Denarius was the only coin that could be used for paying state taxes. To give some idea of its value in present day terms, during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD Roman Legionaries were paid 300 Denarii per year.
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| Sestertius |
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A large coin of about 30-35 mm in diameter, usually struck in orichalcum (a Roman brass type alloy) and valued at 4 to a Denarius. First issued by the Emperor Augustus in the early 1st century, it remained in use until the late 3rd century.
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| Dupondius |
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A coin of about 25-30 mm in diameter, also made from orichalcum and with a similar period of issue – valued at 2 to a Sestertius. From the time of Vespasian, AD69-70, the portrait of the Emperor was usually depicted wearing a “radiate” crown representing the rays of the sun.
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| As |
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A similar coin to the Dupondius both in size and period of use but struck in copper – valued at 2 to a Dupondius. It is often difficult to distinguish between the two coins, particularly when found with the green patina common to copper alloy coins found in British Soil conditions. The As was the most common coin of the 1st and 2nd centuries and was extensively copied, probably by the Roman Army. When in circulation, the As would buy a haircut – so it would be worth a few pounds at today’s values.
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| Semis |
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Similar in size and appearance to a Denarius but struck in brass – valued at 2 to an As. Never a common coin even when in circulation.
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