Roman coins » Mints
Mintmarks
Mintmarks appear on some radiates in the third century and on almost all gold, silver and bronze coins in the fourth century. They normally consist of letters and numbers and are located on the reverse of the coin either at the bottom (in exergue), or to the left and right of the design (in field). They can be difficult to read, especially on worn coins but normally consist of an abbreviated mint name (see below), a letter indicating the workshop (or officina) within the mint that was responsible for making the coin and sometimes an issue mark.
Mint: Treveri (Trier, Germany) Geo location: 49.75374, 6.64625
Abbreviation:TR, TRE
Trier may have been a mint during the AD 270s. From the time of the reforms of the emperor Diocletian (AD 295) onwards it was one of the most important mints for the supply of copper alloy coinage to Britain.
Mint: Lugdunum - Lyon (France) Geo location: 45.7673, 4.83433
Abbreviation:LG, LVG
It is generally accepted that the mint at Lyons produced gold and silver coinage during the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius and Gaius (Caligula) and copper alloy coinage during the reigns of Nero and the Flavians. At this time there were no mintmarks and coins are attributed to the mint on the basis of their style (including features such as the addition of a globe at the base of the bust. Although the mint may have been active for brief periods in the 3rd century, it was during the 4th century that it was most active. A great deal of copper alloy coinage that circulated in Britain came from Lyons.
Mint: Arles (Arelatum/Constantina) Geo location: 43.67665, 4.6278
Abbreviation:AR, ARL, CON, CONST
The mint at Arles was opened in AD 313. Early issues use the AR or ARL mintmark. In AD 318 the city was renamed Constantina to mark it as the birthplace of Constantine II. From this time the mintmark CONST or CON was used. After the death of Constantine II in AD 340, the mintmark ARL was reintroduced, lasting until AD 353. After this time it remained CON or CONST.
Mint: Londinium - London (Britain) Geo location: 51.5002, -0.12624
Abbreviation:ML, L, LN, LON
A mint was first opened in London when Carausius proclaimed himself emperor in Britain in about AD 286. Coins were struck at London under Carausius and his successor Allectus with the mintmark ML or L. The mint produced copper alloy coinage from the time of Diocletian until AD 326 with the mintmark LN or LON.
Mint: Cologne (Colonia Agrippina) Geo location: 50.9333333, 6.95
Abbreviation:
Mint: Mint I, Gaul (Uncertain, France/Germany) Geo location: 0, 0
Abbreviation:
Mint: Ambianum - Amiens (France) Geo location: 49.89392, 2.29424
Abbreviation:AMB
A mint was briefly opened at Amiens during the revolt of Magnentius (AD 350-353). The AMB mintmark is therefore limited to issues of Magnentius and Decentius and to coins of Constantius II and Constantius Gallus struck immediately after the defeat of Magnentius.
Mint: Mediolanum - Milan (Italy) Geo location: 45.46367, 9.18813
Abbreviation:M, MD
A mint operated at Milan from the reign of Gallienus (AD 253-268) until it was closed as part of the reforms of Aurelian in AD 275. During the second half of the 4th century the mint was reopened, striking gold and silver coinage.
Mint: African Mint Geo location: 32.1, 10.67
Abbreviation:
Mint: Ravenna (Italy) Geo location: 44.41573, 12.19658
Abbreviation:RV
A mint was opened at Ravenna in AD 402. It was at this time that the supply of coinage to Britain is thought to have ceased. For this reason finds of 5th century gold and silver issues with Ravenna mintmarks rarely appear in Britain.
Mint: Moving with Republican issuer Geo location: 0, 0
Abbreviation:
Mint: Rome (Italy) Geo location: 41.89546, 12.48232
Abbreviation:R, RM, ROM
Almost all coinage supplied to Britain until the mid 3rd century AD was produced at Rome. Most Roman Republican and Early Imperial coinage, whether struck in gold, silver or copper alloy, was struck there. At this time there were no mintmarks, although the copper alloy issues always carry the mark S C (Senatus Consulto; By decree of the Senate). From the time of the reforms of Diocletian most of the coins supplied to Britain came from the closer mints at Trier, Lyons and Arles, but coins from the mint at Rome still appear. 4th century coins from the mint of Rome carry the mint marks R, RM or ROM.
Mint: Balkan mint Geo location: 43.45, 20.91
Abbreviation:
Mint: Sicilian mint Geo location: 0, 0
Abbreviation:
Mint: Aquileia (Italy) Geo location: 45.7683, 13.36463
Abbreviation:AQ, AQVIL
Only after the reforms of Diocletian did Aquileia become an important mint. Its coins are marked by the mintmark AQ and AQVIL. The mint will perhaps be most commonly seen in Britain on late Roman gold and silver coins struck during the second helf of the 4th century AD.
Mint: Greek Mint Geo location: 0, 0
Abbreviation:
Mint: Siscia (Sisak, Croatia) Geo location: 45.4786, 16.3694
Abbreviation:SIS, SISC
The mint at Siscia was first opened by Gallienus in AD 262 and was operational until AD 383. During the 4th century its coins carried the mintmark SIS or SISC. During this period, coins struck at Siscia are not common finds in the UK compared with those of the more westerly mints.
Mint: Italian Mint Geo location: 0, 0
Abbreviation:
Mint: Ticinum (Pavia, Italy) Geo location: 45.18588, 9.15659
Abbreviation:T
A mint was first established at Ticinum by the transfer of the mint from Milan in AD 275. It remained open until AD 326, when it was closed by Constantine the Great.
Mint: Sirmium (Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia) Geo location: 45.09999847, 19.54999924
Abbreviation:SIR, SIRM
There may have been a mint established at Sirmium during the reign of Gallienus (AD 253-268). During the 4th century, however, it was operational from AD 320 to 326 and AD 351 to 364. Its coins are rare as UK finds.
Mint: Gallic Mint Geo location: 0, 0
Abbreviation:
Mint: Constantinople (Istambul, Turkey) Geo location: 41.18123, 29.13601
Abbreviation:CONS
In AD 326 a mint was set up at Constantinople, the new imperial capital founded by Constantine the Great. Its coins are rare as UK finds due to the city's distance from Britain. Its mintmarks are easily confused with those of Arles. A coin with a CON or CONS mintmark found in Britain is more likely to be from Arles.
Mint: Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) Geo location: 40.625, 22.9725
Abbreviation:TS, TES, THES
The mint at Thessalonica was opened in about AD 298 and continued to strike coins throughout the 4th century AD. Its coins are rare as UK finds.
Mint: Heraclea(Turkey) Geo location: 40.9692, 27.9567
Abbreviation:H,HERAC,HERACL
The mint at Heraclea was opened during the reign of Diocletian and continued to strike coins throughout the 4th century AD. Its coins are rare as UK finds.
Mint: Cyzicus (Turkey) Geo location: 40.1, 39.2
Abbreviation:K, CVZ, CVZIC
The mint at Cyzicus was opened during the reign of Gallienus (AD 253-268) and continued to strike coins throughout the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Its coins are rare as UK finds.
Mint: Nicomedia (Izmit, Turkey) Geo location: 40.776, 29.9484
Abbreviation:N, NIK
The mint at Nicomedia was opened in about AD 302 by Diocletian and continued to strike coins throughout the 4th century AD. Its coins are rare as UK finds.
Mint: Antioch (Antakya, Turkey) Geo location: 36.2002, 36.1762
Abbreviation:AN, ANT
Roman imperial coinage was struck at Antioch from as early as the reign of Augustus. It is also perhaps the most likely source of many silver denarii struck during the 2nd to 3rd centuries (often referred to as being struck at an eastern mint) and distinguished from issues struck at Rome on the basis of style. The mint continued to produce gold, silver and copper alloy coins throughout the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Coins of the Antioch mint struck in the 4th century (and distinguished by an AN or ANT mintmark) are rare as UK finds.
Mint: Eastern Mint Geo location: 0, 0
Abbreviation:
Mint: Alexandria (Egypt) Geo location: 31.2, 29.95
Abbreviation:AL, ALE
Until the reforms of Diocletian the mint at Alexandria struck its own coinage. After AD 295 it produced coinage to the same pattern as the rest of the Roman mints. 4th century issues distinguished by the AL or ALE mintmark are rare as UK finds.
Mint: Ostia (Italy) Geo location: 41.75, 12.3
Abbreviation:OST
The mint at Ostia was established by the transfer of the mint at Cathage in AD 308. Production at the mint only continued for about four years. Its coins are rare as UK finds.
Mint: Carthage (Tunisia) Geo location: 36.8666667, 10.3333333
Abbreviation:K
The main period of coin production at Cathage was between about AD 296 and about AD 308 when most of the workshops were transferred to Ostia. Its coins are rare as UK finds.
Mint: C MINT (uncertain location, Britain) Geo location: 0, 0
Abbreviation:C
A second British mint was established during the reign of Carausius (AD circa 286-293). Coins were struck at this mint during his reign and and that of his successor Allectus (AD 293-296). They are distinguished by a C (sometimes read as a G) mintmark. The location of the ‘C mint’ remains a mystery, although the distribution of finds suggests that it is not Colchester (Camulodunum) as most old catalogues suggest.
Mint: Mint II, Gaul (Uncertain, France/Germany) Geo location: 49.4966745274704, 4.921875
Abbreviation:
This mint is of uncertain location. The Google map is centred on the province for demonstration purposes only.
Mint: Rouen (Rotomagus) Geo location: 49.4333333, 1.0833333
Abbreviation:
Mint: Serdica (Sophia, Bulgaria) Geo location: 42.6833333, 23.3166667
Abbreviation:
Mint: Spain Geo location: 40.01, -4.65
Abbreviation:
Mint: Tarragona (Tarraco) Geo location: 41.1166667, 1.25
Abbreviation:
Mint: Tripolis (Tripoli, Lebanon) Geo location: 34.45, 35.8
Abbreviation:
Mint: Vienna (Carnuntum) Geo location: 48.2, 16.3666667
Abbreviation:
Mint: Viminacium (Kostalac, Serbia) Geo location: 44.7119, 21.1689
Abbreviation:
