Coin Encyclopedia
Search and identify coins from around the world — with country, denomination, metal, mint, history, and how to tell them apart.
Groat of William IV
A small silver fourpenny piece of William IV (1836–1837), with a seated Britannia reverse; the coin that revived the modern British groat.
MilledSiliqua of Gratian
A small late Roman silver siliqua of the emperor Gratian (AD 367-383), with his diademed bust on the obverse and a standing figure or personification on the reverse.
AncientSixpence of James I
A hammered silver sixpence of James I of England: crowned profile bust with VI value mark, and a dated garnished shield over a cross on the reverse.
HammeredFollis of Galerius
A large silvered bronze follis of the emperor Galerius (Augustus AD 305-311), struck across the Tetrarchic mints with a laureate portrait and a standing deity reverse.
AncientBronze Coin of Cleopatra VII
Ptolemaic bronze coin of Cleopatra VII of Egypt, 51-30 BC, showing her draped diademed bust in profile as sole named female ruler of the dynasty.
AncientAureus of Faustina II
Roman imperial gold coin with the draped bust of Faustina II, daughter of Antoninus Pius and wife of Marcus Aurelius, struck around 147-150 AD.
Ancient CoinsSolidus of Valentinian II
A late Roman gold solidus struck for Valentinian II, showing his diademed profile with the obverse legend D N VALENTINIANVS, from the 380s AD.
AncientTetradrachm 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.
AncientSolidus of Galla Placidia
A late Roman gold solidus struck in the name of Galla Placidia, empress and regent, showing her diademed bust and a Victory holding a long cross.
AncientDirham of Caliph al-Mansur
An Abbasid silver dirham dated AH 150 (767 CE), from the reign of Caliph al-Mansur, bearing purely Arabic religious inscriptions and a named mint.
Islamic (Medieval)Ilkhanid Dirham of Ghazan
A silver dirham of the Mongol Ilkhanate struck for Ghazan Khan, with an ornamental cartouche bearing the ruler's name and concentric Arabic and Persian inscriptions.
Islamic (Medieval)Penny of Cynethryth
Anglo-Saxon silver penny of Cynethryth, queen of Mercia and wife of Offa, and the only Anglo-Saxon queen named on her own coinage.
Medieval CoinsFollis 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.
AncientFive Guineas of Anne
Queen Anne's largest gold coin, the celebrated 1703 issue struck with VIGO below the bust from gold captured at the Battle of Vigo Bay.
MilledDenarius of Domitian
Silver denarius of the emperor Domitian (81-96 AD), with his laureate portrait on the obverse and, typically, the goddess Minerva on the reverse.
AncientAntoninianus of Caracalla
The antoninianus introduced by Caracalla around AD 215, a radiate-crowned double denarius in debased silver that reshaped Roman coinage.
AncientDenarius of Antoninus Pius
Silver denarius of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius (138–161 AD), with his laureate portrait facing right and a legend-and-figure reverse.
AncientAntoninianus of Tetricus I
A billon antoninianus of the Gallic emperor Tetricus I (270–273 AD), showing his radiate portrait and a standing figure of Pax on the reverse.
AncientAntoninianus 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 CoinsGold Dinar of al-Hafiz li-Din Allah
A hand-struck Fatimid gold dinar of the caliph al-Hafiz li-Din Allah, carrying only Arabic calligraphy in concentric ring borders and dated AH 544.
Islamic (Medieval)Antoninianus of Laelianus
Rare billon antoninianus of the short-lived Gallic usurper Laelianus, showing his radiate-crowned bust and a Roman deity or personified virtue.
Ancient CoinsFatimid Dinar of Imam Nizar
An 11th-century Fatimid gold dinar with concentric circular Kufic inscriptions naming the ruler and Shi'a invocations, a hallmark of Fatimid coinage.
Islamic (Medieval)Gold Dinar of Abu'l-Hasan Ali
A high-purity Islamic gold dinar dated AH 351 (961-962 CE) in the name of the Ikhshidid ruler Abu'l-Hasan Ali, struck in fully calligraphic Kufic script.
Islamic (Medieval)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