The following notes are intended to help with the identification of Roman base-metal nummi. This table does not attempt to cover gold and silver mint-marks. They will be covered separately. Information provided:
5. Other letters that appear with the mintmarks at times. They are normally prefixes:
SM = Sacra Moneta = Sacred Money/Mint M = Moneta = Money/Mint P = Pecunia (when not used as P/Prima for officina) = Money Note that on silver and gold, the following letters could appear: PS = Pulsatum (pure silver) OB = Obryziacum (pure gold)
6. A listing (not exhaustive) of the mintmarks as marked in the exergue of coins. Field letters and symbols are not provided. When you have identified the mint, you can pursue the precise coin in Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC) and Late Roman Bronze Coinage (LRBC).
If a coin has a figure standing on the reverse and letters shown thus:
T F
PTR we write it as T F//PTR
T
PTR we write it as T -//PTR
F
PTR we write it as - F//PTR
PTR we write it as -//PTR
T F we write it as T F//-
S
K A
SISCP we write it as S -/K A//SISCP
For a letter in the middle of the field, ie between two figures:
A
TRP A//TRP
Table of mints and mintmarks, starting in the North-West and working South and Eastwards
Mint Name | Dates Operational | Core letters | Officinae / Workshops (note that number varied in mints over time) | Other letters used | Common Marks in exergue (except for Trier marks, only first officina example provided) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
London |
294-325 (383-8 - gold only) |
L, LN, LON |
1: P |
M |
No mark; L, ML, MLL, MSL, MLN, PLN, PLON, PLONÈ |
Letters in the fields on various issues |
Amiens |
350-3 |
AMB |
1: (not marked) |
AMB, AMB(branch), •AMB(branch), AMB*, •AMB*, AMBÈ, AMBÈ•, *AMBÈ, *AMBÈ•, AMB•, È•AMB(wreath) |
(Magnentius, Decentius & Constantius II) |
|
Trier |
294-395 (-c. 430) |
TR |
2: P, S; I, II; A, B |
SM |
TR, A/BTR, I-IITR, •A/BTR, P/STR, •P/STR, P/STR•, •P/STR•, P/STRÈ, •P/STRÈ, P/STRÈ●, P/STRE, TRP/S, TR•P/S, TRP/S•, TRP/S*, TRP/S•, TRP/S(branch), •TRP(branch), TRPÈ, •TRP/S•, SMTR, SMTRP |
Letters and symbols in the fields on various issues |
Lyon |
294-395 (- c. 423) |
LG, LVG, LVGD |
2: P, S; OF I & II |
LG, LVG, P/SLG, P/SLGÈ, LVGP, *P/SLG, •P/SLG, *PLG•, PLG*, FPLG, RPLG, RPLG• ÈPLG, LPLG, C, PLG, MPLG, PLGÈ, LVGDOFFP, (branch)PLVGD, PLVG, PLVG*, LVG•P, LVGP*, LVGP(+letter), LVGP• |
Letters in the fields on various issues |
|
Arles, also known as Constantia (328-40 & 353-395) |
313-395 (- c. 425) |
ARL, CON, CONST |
Max 4: P, S, T, Q; OF I, II & III |
PARL, P*/ÈA, P*AR, ARLP, PARL•, PCONST, CON, PCON, CON*, *CON, LPAR |
Letters in the fields on various issues |
|
Ticinum (Pavia) |
294-c.327 |
T |
P, S, T |
PT, PÈT, P(branch)T |
Mint then moved to Constantinople |
|
Rome |
296-491 |
R, RM, ROM |
Max 6: P, S, T, Q, E, S |
SM |
RP, RBP, RFP, R*P, R(wreath)P, R(leaf)P, RÈP, R(branch)P, RP(branch), VRB.ROM.P, ROMA.P, SMRP, RPRIMA, R•PRIMA, SM(leaf)RP, R•P, SMROM |
|
Ostia |
308-13 |
OST |
4: A, B, Γ, Δ; P, S, T, Q |
P, M |
MOSTA, MOSTP |
POSTA on silver; the mint of Ostia then moved to Arles in 313 |
Carthage |
296-307; 308-311 |
K, KART |
4: P, S, T, Q; A, B, Γ, Δ |
P |
PKP; PKA; KART in leg with A, B, Γ, Δ |
In 307, part of the mint probably moved to set up mint at Ostia |
Aquileia |
294-402 (- c. 423) |
AQ |
3: P, S, Γ |
SM |
AQP, •AQP; AQP(branch), AQP•, AQP*, (branch)AQP (branch), *AQP, SMAQP, È●SMAQP, È *SMAQP, *SMAQP, •SMAQP, •SMAQP•, SMAQ, |
|
Siscia |
294-423 |
SIS, SISC |
5: A, B, Γ, Δ, E |
SM |
SIS, •SIS•, SMSISC, ASIS, ASIS*, ASIS•, •ASIS•, ASISÈ*, ASISÈÈ, ASIS(thunderbolt), ASIS(branch), ASIS(wreath), ASIS('cogwheel', ASISR, ASISÈ, ASISC(+letter), ASISC, ASISV, ASISR, •ASISC, ÈSISC, DSISC, È*ASISC, ASISC•, SM |
For the FEL TEMP REPARATIO fallen horseman types and the Valentinianic SECVRITAS REI PVBLICAE & GLORIA ROMANORVM types, there are numerous letters in fields |
Serdica |
c. 303-8; 313-4 |
SD, SER |
5: A, B, Γ, Δ, E |
SM |
SM•SD•, •SM•SD•, •SM•SDA• |
|
Sirmium |
320-6, 351-64, 393-5 |
SM, SIR, SIRM |
1: (not marked) |
SIRM, •SIRM•, *SIRM, ASIRM, *ASIRM, •ASIRM•, ASIRM*, ASIRM(wreath), *ASIRM(branch) |
||
Thessalonica |
298-474 |
TS, TES, THS, THES |
5: A, B, Γ, Δ, E |
SM |
TSA, •TSA•, TS, •TS•, •SM•TS•, •TS•A, TSAVI, TSAVII, SMTSA, SMTS, TESA, TSA*, •TSA•, *TESA, (branch)TESA, (branch) TESA•, (branch)TESA(branch), •TESA•, TES, •TES, TES•, •TES•, THES, THS |
Large number of field letters on Valentinianic issues. |
Heraclea |
294-474 |
H, HT, HERACL, HERAC |
5: A, B, Γ, Δ, E |
SM, M |
HA, HTA, •HTA•, H•T•A, SMHT, MHTA, •MHTA, MHTA•, •MHTA•, SMHA, SMHA•, •SMHA•, •SMHA, ••SMHA, SMHA*, HERACLA, HERACL•A, •HERACL•A, HERACA, HERAC•A, *SMHA, SMH |
|
Constantinople |
326- |
CON, CONS, CN |
Max 11: A, B, Γ, Δ, (E, S, Z, H, Θ, I, IA) |
CONS, CONSA, CONS*, CONSA•, •CONSA•, CONSA*, CONSA(branch), •CONSPA(branch), (branch)CONSPA (branch), (branch)CONSA (branch), CONSPA, CONA, CONS, CN |
||
Nicomedia |
294- |
N, NIK, NIC |
A, B, Γ, Δ, E |
SM, M |
SMN, SMNA, MNA, NA, •SMNA, NIKA*, (branch)NIKA(branch, *SMNA, +SMNA, NIC, NICO |
|
Cyzicus |
294- |
K, CVZICEN, CVZIC, CVZ |
Max 8: A, B, Γ, Δ, E, S, Z, H |
SM |
KV, KA, MKA, MKV, MKVA, SMK, SKM, SMKA, SMKA•, •SMKA•, •SMKA, *SMKA, CVZICENA, CVZICA, CVZA, CVZ |
|
Antioch |
294- |
ANT, AN |
Max 7: A, B, Γ, Δ, E, S, Z |
SM |
ANT, *ANTH, ANT•H, *ANT•, *ANTH*, ÈSMA (reverse Σ)*, SMANT, SMANTA, •SMANTA, SMANA, ANA, ANTA, *ANTA, |
|
Alexandria |
294- |
ALE |
Max 8: A, B, Γ, Δ, E, S, Z, H |
SM |
ALE, SMAL, SMALA, SMAL•A, ALEA, (branch)ALEA (branch), |