# Real roman coins? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 7, 2001, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917 "2001-06-07T13:02:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/21 "2001-06-09T06:53:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DRY \* > \*\ ***brother rat** , do you still have the coin? If so, can you look up (and post) the legend (on the obverse- “heads” side of the coin)? I could probably tell you who the emperor is with that info. The guess here is that it’s Postumus or Probus…most of the other candidates, such as Pertinax or Pescennius Niger, weren’t around very long. Their coins would be expensive. I was indeed Probus, I remember giggling a wee bit about it. obverse: PROBU, on one side, on the other, SPFRHG those last 4 letters are hard to decifer, you know how F looks like P, U looks like A, H and so forth reverse: VICTOR, IAGERM on the bottom RHA I wont tell you how much I paid because I don’t want to be told I got cheated, 😃 but it’s dated to 278 and is in pretty good condition. The face is almost as good as Lincoln’s. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/22 "2001-06-09T07:10:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by brother rat \* > \*\*I was indeed Probus, I remember giggling a wee bit about it. > > obverse: PROBU, on one side, on the other, SPFRHG > those last 4 letters are hard to decifer, you know how F looks like P, U looks like A, H and so forth > reverse: VICTOR, IAGERM on the bottom RHA > > I wont tell you how much I paid because I don’t want to be told I got cheated, 😃 but it’s dated to 278 and is in pretty good condition. The face is almost as good as Lincoln’s. \*\* I take it that it’s an “antoninianus”? (A bronze coin, possibly with a silver wash. IIRC, it’s about as big a nickel, but thinner) As far as how much you paid, you can tell me via e-mail. 😉 Seriously, that type of coin is probably the type that will be see it’s price go down over time, because it’s a popular “horde” coin (found in hordes which are still being unearthed). ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/23 "2001-06-09T08:00:43Z")
I think I’ll keep the price with me, i’d rather not know. But thankfully I did not buy to invest buy bought to have. I think it’s just cool to hold something that was used so long ago. Maybe I’ll have it buried with me when I die? ---
**Author:** ![Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison_s_Lament)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/24 "2001-06-09T08:54:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DRY \* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Morrison’s Lament \* > > \*\*I just HAVE to know if you were serious about that 225BC coin lucwarm??? > > > > If so, I REALLY want one, for it is one of the funniest things I have heard in a long time! 😃 > > Where did you see it? > > > > — G. Raven \*\* > > Um, most Greek and Pre Roman Empire (ie, Roman Republic) coins are undated. The Roman Empire coins are usually dated by the ruler’s regnal year (eg. “COS XII”). There won’t be a “BC” or “AD”… \*\* Ehm, hence the humour of it… get it? I mean, the letters BC wouldn’t mean anything to a person 225 years before Christ was born!! It’s like having a three dollar bill 😃 — G. Raven ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/25 "2001-06-09T09:21:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Sorry, thought it was just one of those annoying made-up words like ‘Leveraging’ and ‘educationalizing’ Or subliminable. > [@](#): > > Hey, I’d like to get me one of those. I could keep it in the display case with my skeleton of Columbus when he was a child. So you’re the guy who bought those. They were going to look really great next to my complete collection of all 11 actual fingerbones of St. Augustine and my potrzebie. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/26 "2001-06-09T10:51:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arken \* > \*\*So you’re the guy who bought those. They were going to look really great next to my complete collection of all 11 actual fingerbones of St. Augustine and my potrzebie. 😃 \*\* I’m still looking for the original Roman version of Caligula, it must be out there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/27 "2001-06-09T11:27:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Morrison’s Lament \* > \*\*Ehm, hence the humour of it… get it? I mean, the letters BC wouldn’t mean anything to a person 225 years before Christ was born!! > It’s like having a three dollar bill 😃 > > — G. Raven \*\* Oh, I’m aware of the BC “paradox”. I thought, for once, to answer the question seriously and give a straight answer. No flirting hijacks in GQ for me! [sub]Unless she’s really, really cute.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2001, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/28 "2001-06-09T15:05:25Z")
I have bought some. The Romans buried their wealth when tehy went off on military campaigns and such, not ahving any banks. So when they died, their stuff was left in the ground. There are hills stuffed with these caches. Mine were from the Balkans. All someone really needs is a metal detector to find these. And I have a few coins that cleaned up nicely, the others are just slugs. Go for it if you want cheap history. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/29 "2001-06-10T06:39:39Z")
For what it’s worth, if anyone has any Roman coins that they can’t identify, feel free to drop me an e-mail with any info you can provide (IE, the legends on the obverse and reverse, etc.). (I’m not as good with Greek coins, but would try to help) I have a handful or Roman coins and only one or two Greek (an Aegina turtle). Most of my Roman coins, are, to be expected, quite common, but I do have at least one or two fairly nice ones (Worth a couple hundred, maybe. Nothing in the thousands). Somewhere, I believe I do have a coin of Nero, but it’s so worn that it’s not worth anything. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/30 "2001-06-10T07:00:36Z")
Yeah, they’re cheap. They had a very efficient minting process. They’re digging up hundreds and thousands of those a week over there. 2 much supply, not enough demand. kinda cool though, i bought 1 for $15, has Caeser on it. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2001, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917/31 "2001-06-10T07:10:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clayton\_e \* > \*\*Yeah, they’re cheap. They had a very efficient minting process. They’re digging up hundreds and thousands of those a week over there. 2 much supply, not enough demand. kinda cool though, i bought 1 for $15, has Caeser on it. \*\* Do you happen to have it handy? What’s the legend on the obverse and reverse? I’m pretty skeptical that this is JULIUS Caesar, though I suppose it isn’t impossible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-roman-coins/67917.md?page=1)