Coin Encyclopedia
Search and identify coins from around the world — with country, denomination, metal, mint, history, and how to tell them apart.
Draped Bust Dollar
Early U.S. silver dollar struck 1795–1804, with a draped bust of Liberty and, from 1798, a heraldic eagle reverse.
Dollar
Edward IV Angel
Medieval English gold coin showing Saint Michael the Archangel slaying a dragon-demon, with a heraldic cross-and-shield reverse.
Medieval Coins
Tanzania 10 Shillings
A base-metal Tanzanian coin bearing President Julius Nyerere on the obverse and the national coat of arms with the value 10 on the reverse.
World
Somaliland 1 Shilling
An early circulation coin of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, its reverse showing a dove above the country's name and the value.
World
Follis of Licinius I
A small bronze follis of the emperor Licinius I (AD 308-324), showing his portrait and a standing deity reverse, struck around AD 320-321.
Ancient
Denarius of Nerva
Roman Imperial silver denarius of Emperor Nerva (96-98 AD), with his laureate portrait and the legend IMP NERVA CAES AVG, and a seated Concordia reverse.
Ancient
3 Roubles (First All-Russian Coins)
Soviet 1982 commemorative 3 Roubles honoring the first all-Russian coins, showing three historical 18th-century Russian coins with the state emblem reverse.
Commemorative
French Half Ecu (Demi-Ecu)
A silver half ecu of Louis XVI dated 1792, with his bust left and a standing winged genius reverse reading L'AN 4 DE LA LIBERTE.
Royal
British Third Farthing
A tiny 1844 Victoria copper coin: young left-facing queen's bust obverse, crowned value reverse. One of Britain's smallest denominations, struck for Malta.
Circulation
Sovereign of George IV
A milled gold sovereign of Great Britain struck under George IV, with the king's laureate head and Pistrucci's St George slaying the dragon reverse, dated 1821.
Milled
Silver Dirham of Salm ibn Ziyad
An Arab-Sasanian silver dirham struck for the Umayyad governor Salm ibn Ziyad, with a Sasanian-style bust and fire-altar reverse plus Arabic marginal inscriptions.
Islamic (Medieval)
Tetradrachm of Ptolemy VIII
Silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy VIII of Egypt, c. 170-116 BC, with a diademed royal head on the obverse and an eagle on a thunderbolt reverse.
Ancient
Tetradrachm of Ptolemy IV
Silver tetradrachm of Ptolemy IV Philopator, 221-204 BC, with the jugate busts of Sarapis and Isis on the obverse and an eagle on a thunderbolt on the reverse.
Ancient
Denarius of Julia Domna
Roman silver denarius of the empress Julia Domna (193-217 CE), with her draped bust and a standing goddess or personification on the reverse.
Ancient
Commemorative Follis of Constantinople
Bronze city-commemorative of Constantine's era (330-340 AD): helmeted Constantinopolis on the obverse, a Victory standing on a ship's prow on the reverse.
Ancient
Antoninianus of Carinus
Bronze radiate coin of the emperor Carinus (283-285 AD), recognizable by his spiked crown and a standing or seated deity on the reverse.
Ancient
Transylvanian Ducat of Catherine of Brandenburg
Gold ducat dated 1630 of Catherine of Brandenburg, ruling Princess of Transylvania, with her portrait and a double-headed eagle and shield reverse.
Medieval
Roman Siliqua
Small late-Roman silver coin of the 4th century AD, with an emperor's portrait facing right and a standing robed figure on the reverse.
Ancient
Denarius of Marcus Aurelius
Roman silver denarius of Marcus Aurelius (c. 170-171 AD): laureate bearded emperor on the obverse, a standing personification on the reverse.
Ancient
Denarius of Pertinax
A rare silver denarius of Pertinax, Roman emperor for 86 days in 193 AD, showing his laureate portrait and a personification reverse.
Ancient
Denarius of Commodus
A silver denarius of the Roman emperor Commodus (180–192 AD), with his laureate bearded portrait and a standing deity or personification on the reverse.
Ancient
Atilia Denarius
Roman Republican silver denarius struck by a moneyer of the gens Atilia, with a helmeted head on the obverse and a deity or figure with the family name on the reverse.
Ancient
Antoninianus of Gallienus
Billon double-denarius of the emperor Gallienus, marked by a radiate crown; this piece shows a radiate male head and a standing deity on the reverse.
Ancient Coins
100 Lire
Italy's 1979 100 Lire, a nickel-hued FAO commemorative with a woman's profile on the obverse and an allegorical figure beside the value on the reverse.
Modern