Reading Late Roman Coin Legends

You have cleaned your late Roman bronze coin and can now make out letters around the portrait. They look like a jumble of consonants — DNVALENTINIANVSPFAVG — but this seemingly impenetrable string follows a predictable pattern. Once you learn the standard abbreviations, you can read almost any late Roman coin legend. This guide covers the 3rd and 4th century bronze coins most commonly found in uncleaned lots.

A Note on Latin Spelling

The Latin alphabet used on Roman coins did not include the letters J, U, or W. V served for both V and U sounds, so AVGVSTVS is read as "Augustus." I served for both I and J sounds, so IVLIANVS is read as "Julianus." Words run together without spaces, and everything is heavily abbreviated to fit the small coin surface.

How to Read the Obverse Legend

The obverse (front) of the coin shows the emperor's portrait surrounded by a legend giving his name and titles. The legend begins at approximately the 7 o'clock position — just behind the emperor's bust — and reads clockwise around the portrait, ending near the 5 o'clock position.

On late Roman bronze (late 3rd–4th century), the standard pattern is: DN + [Emperor's Name] + PF AVG. For example: DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG.

Common Obverse Abbreviations

DN (Dominus Noster) — "Our Lord." The standard title on late Roman coins from Diocletian onward, reflecting the shift from military commander to absolute ruler.

IMP (Imperator) — "Commander" or "Emperor." The older title, still found on coins of Diocletian, Maximian, and early Constantine.

AVG (Augustus) — The supreme imperial title, effectively meaning "Emperor." When doubled to AVGG, it indicates two co-ruling emperors; AVGGG indicates three.

PF (Pius Felix) — "Dutiful and Fortunate." Standard from the 3rd century onward.

CAES (Caesar) — Junior emperor or heir. Often appears as NOB C (Nobilissimus Caesar, "Most Noble Caesar").

MAX (Maximus) — "The Greatest." An honorific; also appears in names like Maximianus.

PP (Pater Patriae) — "Father of his Country."

Emperors You Will Most Likely Encounter

The following emperors appear most frequently in uncleaned lots of late Roman bronze, listed with their typical obverse legends:

Constantine I (306–337): IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG or CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG
Constantine II (337–340): CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C (as Caesar)
Constans (337–350): DN CONSTANS PF AVG
Constantius II (337–361): DN CONSTANTIVS PF AVG
Julian II (360–363): DN FL CL IVLIANVS PF AVG
Valentinian I (364–375): DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG
Valens (364–378): DN VALENS PF AVG
Gratian (367–383): DN GRATIANVS PF AVG
Theodosius I (379–395): DN THEODOSIVS PF AVG
Arcadius (395–408): DN ARCADIVS PF AVG
Honorius (395–423): DN HONORIVS PF AVG

Valens and Valentinian can be tricky to distinguish. Valens has a shorter name, so the letters on his coins tend to be larger and more widely spaced.

Common Reverse Legends

The reverse (back) carries a propaganda message. These are the types that appear most often in uncleaned lots:

GLORIA EXERCITVS ("Glory of the Army") — Two soldiers flanking one or two military standards. Constantine I and sons, c. 330–340. One of the most common types in existence.

FEL TEMP REPARATIO ("Restoration of Happy Times") — Multiple sub-types, but the most common shows a soldier spearing a fallen horseman. Constans and Constantius II, c. 348–361. Produced in enormous quantities.

VICTORIAE DD AVGG Q NN ("To the Victories of Our Lord Emperors") — Two Victories facing each other, holding wreaths. Constans and Constantius II, c. 341–348.

SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE ("Security of the Republic") — Victory advancing left with wreath and palm. Valentinian I and Valens, c. 364–378.

GLORIA ROMANORVM ("Glory of the Romans") — Emperor dragging a captive. Valentinian I, Valens, and Gratian, c. 364–378.

SALVS REIPVBLICAE ("Salvation of the Republic") — Victory dragging captive. Theodosius I, Arcadius, and Honorius, c. 388–402.

Votive Types: VOT Inscriptions

You will often find coins with a laurel wreath containing a votive inscription such as VOT XX MVLT XXX. These record solemn vows (vota) taken by the emperor for the wellbeing of the state, renewed at five-year intervals. The first number celebrates the current milestone; MVLT (from multis, meaning "many more") expresses hope for the next. So VOT XX MVLT XXX means: "Vows for 20 years fulfilled, may there be many more to 30 years."

Commemorative City Types

Two special types were struck in enormous numbers during c. 330–340 to celebrate Constantine's founding of Constantinople as the "New Rome":

VRBS ROMA — showing the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus on the reverse.
CONSTANTINOPOLIS — showing Victory standing on the prow of a ship.

These are among the most commonly found late Roman bronzes.

Reading Mintmarks

The mintmark appears in the exergue — the small area below the horizontal ground line at the bottom of the reverse. It tells you where the coin was struck. A typical mintmark has three parts:

1. A prefix, usually SM (Sacra Moneta, "Sacred Mint"), sometimes omitted entirely.
2. A mint abbreviation of one to four letters identifying the city.
3. An officina mark — a letter or numeral identifying which workshop struck the coin. Western mints used Latin letters (P for Prima, S for Secunda, T for Tertia, Q for Quarta). Eastern mints often used Greek letters (A, B, Γ, Δ).

For example, SMHA = SM (Sacred Mint) + H (Heraclea, modern Turkey) + A (first workshop).

Major Mints

Western mints: LON/PLON (London), TR/TRP (Trier, Germany), LVG (Lyon, France), ARL/CONST (Arles, France), R/RM (Rome), AQ/AQP (Aquileia, Italy), SIS/SISC (Siscia, modern Croatia).

Eastern mints: TS/TES (Thessalonica, Greece), HER/SMH (Heraclea, Turkey), CON/CONS (Constantinople, modern Istanbul), NIC/SMN (Nicomedia, Turkey), CVZ/SMK (Cyzicus, Turkey), AN/ANT (Antioch, Turkey), AL/ALE (Alexandria, Egypt).

A Worked Example

Suppose you have cleaned a coin and can read the following:

Obverse: DN VALEN–S PF AVG, diademed bust facing right
Reverse: SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE, winged Victory advancing left
Exergue: SMHA

DN (Our Lord) + VALENS (the emperor Valens, AD 364–378) + PF (Dutiful and Fortunate) + AVG (Emperor). The reverse proclaims "The Security of the Republic." The mintmark SM+H+A tells us it was struck in the first workshop of the Heraclea mint in modern Turkey. You now have a coin of Valens, struck at Heraclea, dating to approximately 364–378 AD.

Further Reading

• David Sear: Common Legend Abbreviations on Roman Coins — davidrsear.com
• Doug Smith: Abbreviations on Roman Imperial Coins — forumancientcoins.com
• Tesorillo: Identifying Late Roman Bronze Coins — tesorillo.com
• Portable Antiquities Scheme: Fourth Century Mintmarks — finds.org.uk
• OCRE: Online Coins of the Roman Empire search tool — numismatics.org