Identifying Roman bronze coins

From heavy sestertii to tiny late-Roman nummi.

Roman bronze ranges enormously: the sestertius is a broad, heavy coin (25–28 g, over 30 mm) of golden-brown orichalcum; the as and dupondius sit in the middle; and the little nummi of the 4th century can be under 15 mm. Size and weight alone place a Roman bronze within a century or so.

Green or brown patina is expected — a stable, even surface is healthy. Look for SC (Senatus Consulto) on early imperial bronze, radiate versus laureate portraits, and late-Roman reverse types like two soldiers with standards, a wolf and twins, or VICTORIAE. Mint marks in the exergue (the segment below the reverse design) can pin the city that struck it.

Do not clean to bare metal — patina is both protection and evidence. Note the diameter, weight, and every legible letter. 'Late Roman bronze, 4th century, mint unclear' is a respectable identification; a scrubbed coin is a damaged one.

From the guide library inside Collectors Catalogues, a free app for cataloguing antiques and finds with honest, museum-grade records.

More on coins

Identifying coins — Portrait, legend, and strike.

Identifying tokens and jettons — Not quite coins.

Identifying Roman silver coins — Denarii, antoniniani, and siliquae — and how to tell them apart.

Identifying Greek coins — City badges, gods, and fabric — reading coins struck before Rome ruled.

Identifying Celtic coins — Abstract horses, wreaths, and heads — coinage reimagined by Iron Age artists.

Identifying Byzantine coins — Crosses, Christ portraits, and big value marks — the empire after Rome.

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