Late Roman Bronze Coinage

In the course of the fourth century, millions of bronze coins were struck in the Roman Empire: an area extending from modern Britain to Egypt. The iconography present in these modest remnants of a distant past provides a fascinating insight into the realities, hopes and desires not only of the common people, but also of those who ruled over them. It is possible to identify with a remarkable degree of precision where, when and by whom coins of this period were struck. Traditional numismatic works rely heavily on a textual description and assume that one has a perfectly preserved specimen. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their age, the majority of coins encountered are worn or incomplete, making identification difficult. However, as demonstrated by this work, a closer study of their composition and iconography yields more than enough information to identify all but the most poorly preserved specimens. Translation of Die spätrömische Kupferprägung – Ein Bestimmungsbuch für schlecht erhaltene Münzen (1961).

Author Biography

Guido Bruck (11 November 1920 in Vienna – 13 March 1966 in Melk) was an Austrian numismatist. After obtaining his Doctorate in 1948, he was appointed to the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna where he worked as a curator until his early death. His ground-breaking work Die spätrömische Kupferprägung: ein Bestimmungsbuch für schlecht erhaltene Münzen, was published in 1961, and is presented here in its English translation. Alisdair Menzies (b. 11 November 1976) was born in Scotland, raised in Zimbabwe and now lives in Switzerland. A biologist by training, he soon discovered a passion for scientific and technical writing and editing. He currently works as editor in chief in one of the International Organizations in Geneva. He has been fascinated by Roman numismatics for twenty years, and has a keen interest in the fourth century, a period which saw major historical transitions in western civilisation whose effects are felt to this day.