Coin Encyclopedia
Search and identify coins from around the world — with country, denomination, metal, mint, history, and how to tell them apart.
Aureus of Nero
Roman imperial gold aureus of Emperor Nero (54-68 AD), showing his curly-haired portrait facing right with a Latin imperial legend.
Ancient Coins
Keicho Oban
A large, thin oval Japanese gold oban of the Keicho era, hammer-marked with horizontal striations and bearing brush-inked ink signatures and paulownia crests.
Historic
Vespasian Judaea Capta Denarius
Silver denarius of Emperor Vespasian (71–79 AD) with his laureate bust and a Judaea Capta reverse showing a mourning seated captive.
Ancient
Brutus Aureus
The gold aureus of Marcus Junius Brutus, struck 42 BC, whose reverse celebrates Caesar's assassination with EID MAR, a cap of liberty, and two daggers.
Ancient
25 Pesetas (Franco)
Spain's common Franco-era 25 pesetas, a silvery copper-nickel coin bearing the national coat of arms and the value 25; dated 1957 but struck into the 1970s.
Modern
Solidus of Justinian I
Byzantine gold solidus of Emperor Justinian I (527-565 AD), showing his crowned imperial bust with a seated figure on the reverse.
Ancient Coins
Tanzania 500 Shillings
A modern base-metal circulating coin of Tanzania carrying a right-facing portrait long associated with the nation's founding president and a Kiswahili legend.
World
Indonesia 5 Rupiah
A lightweight aluminum 5-rupiah coin of the Republic of Indonesia dated 2003, carrying the Garuda eagle emblem and the legend Bank Indonesia.
Southeast Asia
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
Newfoundland Two Dollars
Small gold two-dollar coin of the colony of Newfoundland; the only circulating coin ever denominated in dollars, cents, and pence together.
Canadian & Provincial
British Half Sovereign
A small 22-carat British gold coin worth ten shillings; the pictured example shows Queen Victoria's left-facing Young Head portrait, dated 1863.
British
American Gold Eagle
The United States' official gold bullion coin since 1986, struck in 22-karat gold in four sizes with a Saint-Gaudens striding Liberty obverse.
Bullion
American Platinum Eagle
The United States' official platinum bullion coin, struck in .9995 fine platinum with a Statue of Liberty obverse; this is the 1998 one-tenth-ounce $10 issue.
Bullion
Macao 5 Patacas
A distinctive octagonal Macao 5 Patacas circulation coin dated 2007, showing a denomination-marked face and a sailing ship over a harbor scene.
Circulation
Denarius of Septimius Severus
Silver denarius of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193–211 AD), showing his laureate head and a standing reverse figure.
Ancient
Sestertius of Vespasian (Iudaea Capta)
Large Roman bronze sestertius of Vespasian (AD 70–71) marking the conquest of Judaea, with a palm tree and mourning captives on the reverse.
Ancient
Antoninianus of Claudius II
A billon antoninianus of the Roman emperor Claudius II Gothicus (268–270 AD), showing his radiate bust on one side and a standing deity on the other.
Ancient
France 50 Cent Euro
France's gold-coloured 50 euro cent coin, showing the striding Sower (Marianne) among the EU stars on one side and the value 50 on the other.
Circulation
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
20 Francs Napoleon
A small 21 mm French gold coin bearing Napoleon III's profile and a wreathed 20 FRANCS reverse — the classic gold Napoleon, here dated 1857.
Bullion
Half Sovereign
A small British 22-carat gold coin worth ten shillings; this example shows Queen Victoria's veiled, crowned Jubilee Head portrait and is dated 1887.
World Coins
100 Dinara
A copper-nickel 100 Dinara circulation coin of socialist Yugoslavia dated 1987, with a big numeral 100 on one face and the Yugoslav state emblem on the other.
Modern
Leif Erikson Commemorative 1000 Króna
Icelandic silver commemorative dated 2000, marking the millennium of Leif Erikson's voyage and the Norse discovery of North America.
Commemorative
Japanese 20 Yen
Early Meiji-era Japanese gold coin showing a dragon among clouds on one side and a floral design with the 20 yen denomination on the other.
World Coins