Drachmas Doubloons and Dollars: The History of Money
(Exhibition Home)
Ancient Rome
Introduction
Early Italian and Roman Republican Coinages (c. 500-88 BC) - Julius Caesar and the Late Republic (88-27 BC) - Augustus and the Roman Principate - Nero (AD 54-68) and Propaganda - Biblical Coins - Roman Provincial Coins - The Severan Family (AD 193-235) - Economic and Political Decline - The Late Roman Empire (AD 284-476)
Economic and Political Decline

In 215, Caracalla introduced a new denomination, the antoninianus, tariffed at 2 denarii, but with a silver content of only 11/2 denarii. Civil war and barbarian invasion drove emperors from 238 to 270 to debase the antoninianus to a miserable bronze coin with a silver content of 2%.
Silver antoninianus (AD 215-217) of Caracalla.
Silver antoninianus (AD 238-239) of Gordian III (AD 238-244).
Gold aureus (AD 256-257) of Valerian (AD 253-260). The small size of such gold coins is due to the economic crisis of the 3rd century.
Silver dirham of Sasanian Persian king Shapur I (AD 241-272). Shapur represents a low point of Roman military fortunes. In AD 260 he captured the emperor Valerian, who was later stuffed as a trophy of Sasanian victory.
Bronze antoninianus of the Gallo-Roman emperor Tetricus I (AD 270-273).