AugustusCoins

Interesting ancient coins, offered by Augustus Coins

If you want to buy ancient coins and you are in the US, you are beginning at the right page. If you want to learn more about ancient coins, visit my educational ancient-coin website (begun in 1997 and expanded very many times since then). If you like to learn from books, visit my page of ancient-coin literature. For more about me, see see here.

Contents: This is the main page with Roman coins and some of newest listings from other series too, at the top. For late Roman, Byzantine, or Greek coins, or books about them, use the links to the left.

Skip down to Republican, 1st C, 2nd C, or 3rd C , Tetrarchy (Diocletian - Licinius II). (Links to other series are on the left sidebar.)

Recent: 2025, April 4: Book page revised.
2025, March 28: A dozen ancient-coin books added to the numismatic literature page in the last week.
2025, March 26: A coin of Paestum during the Roman Republic. The page of Greek coins was reorganized and prices adjusted.
2025, March 24: Philip II from Nisibis, Mesopotamia. Two Islamic weights of the Fatimid period, c.940 to c.1190, on the Byzantine page.
2025, March 22: Tiny Trajan and matching tiny Hadrian. Many sold coins removed entirely. Some prices reduced on the Constantinian page.
2025, March 14: Nice Trajan Decius Syrian tetradrachm (on this page).
2025, March 7: Eudoxia, wife of Arcadius, on the late Roman page. Michael I, Sear 1618 on the Byzantine page.
2025, March 2: Hadrian half-quadrans, three Theodosius, two Constantine (including one with the first Christian cross on Roman coins), Theodosius II. Rare Justin II of year 1, two Maurice, one Justin and Justinian joint reign (only 4 months) on the Byzantine page.
2025, Feb. 28: Maximinus II and Helena, on this page.
2025, Feb. 21: Aelia Flaccilla on the late Roman Valentinian-and-later page.

wwestyc wwestypage
Prices are in brackets: [$xx].

To order or simply to ask me questions, write me, Warren, at

.
(I am on Pacific time, so if you are in the east and write me at 8:00 am it is only 5:00 am where I am.)
My page of terms, which are essentially repeated here:
All coins are guaranteed genuine.

Terms of Sale.  If you are in the US you can pay with Zelle (preferred) or PayPal to my e-mail address. (I also accept checks.) (Why I prefer Zelle.) Do not pay until after I confirm I still have the coin.
Please tell me if you are not in the US. If you are outside the US, shipping will be $18 to Canada and $22 (or slightly more for a big order) to elsewhere. (I'm very sorry shipping outside the US is so expensive.) Please pay with Wise if you can.  See more here.

Shipping in the US is $2 for orders under $25, $3 up to $50, $4 up to $100, and an additional $2 for each hundred thereafter.
Reminder: When you buy a coin you must add in the shipping cost. Don't think a coin offered at $20 elsewhere will cost you $20. It won't. Shipping could easily be $6 or more. In contrast, I charge only $2 for shipping a $20 coin in the US.

Purple means "SOLD" and no longer available

Paestum under the Roman Republic, formerly named Poseidonia as a Greek city.
16 mm. 3.81 grams. Sexans (with two pellets below)
Struck 268-89 BC.
Head of Demeter right
forepart of boar, to pellets below.
Sear, Greek Coins and their Values, I, page 66, "The mint had the unique priviledge in Italy of being allowed to issue its own bronze coin right down to the time of Augusus and Tiberius."
Rome issued very little copper is the late second and early first centuries BC, so city copper and even imitations circulated in Italy.
Sear Greek I 633. Crawford CMRR p. 71f. Lindgren III 291.
[$27 SOLD]
This page has two examples of copper coins issued during the Republic that responded to the demand for low-denomination coins which Rome did not mint. (The other)

Philip II, 244-249
26 mm. 13.33 grams. Repatinated. Larger than a quarter and twice as thick.
Nisibis, Mesopotamia (read about Nisibis here)
AVTOK K M IOVΛI ΦIΛIΠΠOC CЄB
Autokrater Caesar Marcus Julius Philippus Sebastos)
The young face makes it Philip II.
Nisibis sometimes distinguished the two Philips by having Philip face right and Philip II face left.
Tetrastyle temple, with triangular pediment, containing statue of city goddess seated facing; above her head, ram (Aries) leaping right; below, river god Mygdonius swimming right.
Rev: IOY CЄΠ KOΛΩ NЄCIBI MHT,
(Julia Septimia Colonia Nisibis Metropolis)
[This "Julia" is a family name for Philip.]
Sear Greek Imperial 4157. BMC Mesopotamia Nesibi [sic] 21, attributed there to Philip I, with a footnote "Some of these may be of Philip Junior, especially nos. 21-4 on which the face appears to be beardless."
RPC VIII "unassigned; ID 2962."
The city name (NECIBI) is clear from 1:00-3:00. Nice portrait. Strong mint name. Good size. [$39]

Trajan Decius, 249-251
Tetradrachm of Antioch.
27.0-25.2 mm. 9.58 grams. Much larger than an antoninianus.
Note the officina "S" below the bust, which makes it Prier 547, of which Prier notes only 3 examples. However, this apparent rarity is misleading because there are numerous similar coins with different Prier numbers which differ in only one minor detail.
Prier 547. Struck 250-1.
A nice example with a good portrait and legend fully legible and on the flan.
[$89]

Theodosius II (402-450), helmeted, facing
17.6-15.9 mm. 2.20 grams.
CONCORDIA AVGGG
You can see his face, which is often worn flat.
ANTΓ
[$14]
vcoins has two as I write: $75 and 145 £! (I don't think it is that rare or worth that much.)

NOTE: This page now includes Tetrarchal coins (below). It incorporates the previous "Tetrarchy" page.

Second Century

Trajan (98-117)

Trajan, 98-117
The smallest Roman denomination! Sometimes called an "uncia." It is much smaller than a quadrans.
Struck very near the end of his reign, c. 117.
12 mm. 0.84 grams. Tiny!
His bust right with no legend.
"SC" in wreath.
Sear II 3250, page 170 "Rome, 112-117"
RIC Trajan 443, says probably 101-103 (unlikely, since there is a short-lived similar type of Hadrian)
BMC 1883. p. cvi "Very probably of Roman mintage--possibly Antioch."
The only other coin of a similar type is of Hadrian, distinguished only by its portrait of Hadrian.
Recognizable bust of Trajan and clear "SC" in wreath. Tiny! [$23]
It is nice considering it is so small. PRC III 3681 Antioch "chalkous" "product of Rome." "Struck for circulation in Syria"

Hadrian (117-138)

Hadrian, 117-138
The smallest Roman denomination! Sometimes called an "uncia." It is much smaller than a quadrans.
It may be a "half-quadrans."
Struck very near the beginning of his reign, c. 117.
9.5 mm. 0.77 grams. Tiny!
His bust right with no legend.
"SC" in wreath.
Sear II 3705, page 170 "Rome, 117-118"
RIC Hadrian 629b.
BMC 1883. p. cvi "Very probably of Roman mintage--possibly Antioch."
The only other coin of a similar type is of Trajan, distinguished only by its portrait of Trajan.
Recognizable bust of Hadrian and clear "SC" in wreath. Tiny! [$23] ($3 off the total if you also buy the corresponding Trajan above as a pair)
It is so small! PRC III 3681 Antioch "chalkous" "product of Rome." "Struck for circulation in Syria"

Another: (Before a few years ago I don't recall these ever being offered. Maybe they were too small for life-sized photos! I find them really interesting in hand for their size.

Hadrian, 117-138
The smallest Roman denomination! Sometimes called an "uncia." It is much smaller than a quadrans.
It may be a "half-quadrans."
Struck very near the beginning of his reign, c. 117.
9.5 mm. 1.00 grams. Tiny!
His bust right with no legend.
"SC" in wreath.
Sear II 3705, page 170 "Rome, 117-118"
RIC Hadrian 629b.
BMC 1883. p. cvi "Very probably of Roman mintage--possibly Antioch."
The only other coin of a similar type is of Trajan, distinguished only by its portrait of Trajan.
Recognizable bust of Hadrian and clear "SC" in wreath. Tiny! [$33] ($3 off the total if you also buy the corresponding Trajan above as a pair)
It is so small! PRC III 3681 Antioch "chalkous" "product of Rome." "Struck for circulation in Syria"

Antoninus Pius (138-161)

[none]

Enlarged! (Because the portrait is so great!)
Look at it closely.
Philip I, 244-249, His first isssue, dated to 245. He does not have coins dated to 244.
23 mm. Antoninianus. 12:00. 3.74 grams.
IMP M IVL PHILIP{PVS AVG
Magnificent portrait right on a large flan.
PM TRP II COS PP

Sear 3.8843
RIC 2b. Plate 5.16.

If you only want one coin of Philip for your portrait series, this could be the one. [$145]

A lovely portrait for the portrait series.
Herennia Etruscilla, wife of Trjan Decius who reigned 249-251
HER ETRVSCILLA AVG
Please please go look at other coins of Herennia. She often/usually has an unattractive face. You have to look hard to find one as pleasing as this one.
PVDICTIA AVG (modesty)
RIC IV.III (under Trajan Decius) 58b, page 127, plate 11.4. (RIC's coin is not quite as nice)
Sear III 9494.
Ancient coins are ancient art, as well as history. This particular coin is art of a higher order than almost all of her other coins.
[$145, reduced to $125 + $6 shipping in the US

"Restorer of the East", which may be the most ironic legend on a Roman coin, given that he was captured alive by Shapur II and lived out his life in captivity after losing the East.
[$19] SOLD

Maximian (286-305 and later)

Maximian. (286-305 AD).
20mm, 2.71g
Cyzicus
IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS P F AVG. radiate cuirassed bust of Maximian right.
CONCORDIA MILITVM. Jupiter standing left presents Victory on a globe to Maximianus standing right. White cover. [$23, reduced to $19]

Club and lion-skin!

Maximian, 286-305.
22 mm. 4.23 grams. Heavy with better silver than typical.

IMP C MAXIMIANVS AVG
HERCVLI INVICTO AVGG
Hercules standing left holding Victory on globe, lion-skin over left arm, leaning on club.
S in left field, nothing in exergue.
Obverse: radiate bust left holding club over far shoulder, lion skin over near (his left) shoulder.
RIC V.II Maximian 367, page 263, "Lugdunum, 289"
Bastien 190 p.152, 5th emission, 2nd officina (287-289 AD).
Sear 13132.
Rare bust type. Lots of silvering. [$295, reduced to $235, reduced to $189] Please compare with prices elsewhere.

Quarter Follis of Siscia
19 mm.
Maximian
IMP C MA MAXIMIANVS PF AVG
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI
SIS
This is not the usual full-size follis, rarther the scarcer (but not rare) "quarter follis".
RIC Siscia 146, "R3" (RIC rarities are out of date.)
plate IX
Failmezger 29 [$16, reduced to $13]

Constantius I (293-305-306)

Constantius, as Caesar, 293-305
19 mm. 2.99 grams.
CONCORDIA MILITVM
ANT for Antioch
[$12 SOLD]

Constantius, 293-305-306
20-19 mm
Struck as Caesar
IMP VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C
VOT XX in wreath
No visible officina number
RIC VI Rome 87e variety. "c.297-8." Footnote 2 says some apparently have no officina number. [$49, reduced to $31]

VOT XX is hard to explain for Constantius with this date. It might be the vows of Diocletian (not Constantius) reconfirmed at year 15 (as proposed by RIC). It might be the coin is really from c. 303 (as the Carthage coins above) and this is vows suscepta for Constantius on the occasion of his ten-year vows. Of, it might be really from c. 303 and the vow number belongs to Diocletian. It is certainly the case that vow numbers can belong to the senior ruler and not the ruler named on the coin.

[$39, reduced to $21] Constantius I. Struck c. 297-8 at Rome. 19 mm. 3.14 grams.
VOT XX A in wreath.
RIC VI Rome 88a. page 360.
A reference to the "20 years" intended for the tetrarchy.
Rare. None on vcoins or MA-Shops as of this writing.

Galerius (293-305-311)

Maxentius (306-312)

Maximinus II (310-313)

Maximinus II, 305-310-313
19 mm.
Struck 305-306
quarter follis
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI
SIS for Siscia
RIC Siscia 171b
The short version of his obverse legend
MAXIMINVS NOB C [$33, reduced to $14]

Civic Pagan Coins of the time of Maximinus II (c. 310)

[SOLD]

Licinius (308-324)

Licinius
19.5-17.9 mm.
IOVI CONSERVATORI
SMANTZ for Antioch mint
X II Γ in the field for 12 1/2, half the "25" denomination.
eagle holding wreath, captive, and Jupiter holding Victory on globe, crowning him.
[$8]

Licinius, 308-324
19-17 mm
IOVI CONSERVATORI
XIIΓ for 12 1/2, the denomination.
SMANTЄ
[$9]

Licinius II (317-324)

Licinius II, 317-324

Helmeted bust left
XIIΓ denomination.
SMKA for Cyzicus
[$8]

Licinius II, 317-324
19 mm. Tiny head left with scepter and mappa, struck 317
RIC VII Heraclea 19
"Camp gate" PROVIDENTIAE CAESS, MHTDelta
Very little wear, silvering mostly tarnished to glossy black. Bold strike.
A really cute tiny head! Bold head and legend. Splendid! [$59, reduced to $45]

Okay, it is not an ancient coin, and not ancient, but it is interesting. A small thimble, 14 mm diameter, 15.3 mm deep. (Too small for even my little finger.)
I know almost nothing about it. I bought it from the "artifacts" section of an ancient-coin auction. Thimbles are a medieval invention, not ancient.
I will ship it in a small but strong box inside an envelope so it doesn't get crushed in the mail.

[$9, reduced to $6 + $6 shipping (It is too thick for a regular envelope)] (If you also order coins, they will not add to the shipping cost unless the coins are expensive.)

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Second next: Roman of Valentinian and later (364-491 AD)

To order, or simply to ask me questions, write me, Warren, at