Imagine you are sitting in a quiet gallery, holding a silver denarius that has survived two millennia. You run your thumb over the raised letters circling the emperor’s portrait. They look like a mysterious code, a jumble of Latin characters that seem to hold a secret message.
Learning to read these inscriptions is the moment a coin truly begins to “speak.” You aren’t just looking at a face; you are reading a political billboard, a list of achievements, and a name that once commanded the known world.
The Ancient “Status Update”
Roman coins were the social media of the ancient world. Since there were no newspapers or websites, the emperor used the circular text—called the legend—to tell the people who he was and what he had done lately.
These inscriptions are almost always in Latin. They follow a very specific “lean code” of abbreviations. Because the space on a small silver coin is limited, the Romans became masters of shortening long titles into just a few punchy letters.
How to Start Reading
When you look at a coin, the inscription usually starts at the bottom left and wraps around the top to the right. Occasionally, you have to read it counter-clockwise, but the “standard” clockwise direction is most common.
I remember the first time I tried to decode a coin of Hadrian. At first, the letters looked like a random string: IMP CAES TRAIAN HADRIANO AVG. But once you understand the abbreviations, the “Modern Curator” in you sees the full title: “Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus.”
Common Abbreviations
To read a Roman coin, you only need to learn a few “key” codes. Here are the most important ones you will find in our gallery:
The Story of the Titles
The back of the coin (the reverse) often tells a different story. While the front (the obverse) is about the man, the back is about his message. You might see words like PAX (Peace), LIBERTAS (Freedom), or VICTORIA (Victory).
These weren’t just random words. If an emperor just ended a war, he would flood the empire with “PAX” coins. It was his way of saying, “The war is over, and you can thank me for the peace.” In our collection, reading these reverse legends helps us understand the “mood” of Rome at the exact moment the coin was struck.
Why It Matters Today
I admire the Roman inscription system. It is a masterclass in information density. They managed to fit a man’s entire resume and political philosophy into a space no bigger than a thumbnail.
Identifying these letters is the final step in truly “curating” your specimen. It moves the coin from being a “pretty object” to being a historical document. Once you can read the legends, you can place your coin on a specific timeline, often within a single year of history.
Meanings of Common Inscriptions
| Inscription | Meaning |
| ABVNDANTIA | abundance or plenty (personification) |
| AETERNIT | forever |
| ALAMANNIA | the Alamanni; a Germanic tribe |
| AVG, AVGVSTVS | emperor |
| AVGG, AVGGG | 2 or more emperors, 3 emperors |
| BEAT, BEATA | blessed |
| BRIT | Britannicus : a title, when used with name = defeater of the Britans |
| C | Gaius : name, if comes before another C |
| C, CAE, CAES | Caesar : denoted a junior person |
| CAESS | 2 or more Caesars |
| CONCORDIA | harmony or concord (personification) |
| CARITAS | dearness, affection |
| C, CO, COS, CONS | Consul : a high Roman office |
| COS III | office of Consul was held three times |
| COMITI | comrade |
| CONS, CONSERV, CONSERVATORI | preserver, conservator |
| DAC | Dacicus : defeater of the Dacians (title) |
| DACIA | Dacia (ancient Romania), province |
| DEVICTA | victory over; defeated |
| DN | Dominus Noster : Our Lord (4th century) |
| DDNN | our lords (4th century) |
| DV, DIV, DIVA, DIVO | Divine : applied to deceased rulers |
| EXERC, EXERCIT, EXERCITI, EXERCITVM | army |
| F | Filius : son (used in 1st/2nd century) |
| F, FE, FEL | Felix : happy (used in 3rd/4th century) |
| FEL TEMP REPARATIO | happy times (days) are here again |
| FELICITAS | happiness and prosperity (personification) |
| FIDES | loyalty, or good faith (personification) |
| FIDES MILITVM | loyalty of the army |
| GENIO | to Genius, a protecting spirit |
| GENIO POPVLI ROMANI | to the Genius of the Roman people |
| GERM | Germanicus : a title, when used with name = defeater of the Germans |
| GERM | Germania : province north of Rome |
| GLORIA | glory |
| GLORIA EXERCITVS | the glory of the army |
| GLORIA ROMANORVM | the glory of Rome |
| HERC | Hercules |
| HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS | under this sign you will be victorious |
| IMP | Imperator : leader of the army |
| IMPARI | emperors |
| INV, INVICTO | Invictus : invincible, unconquerable |
| IOM | Iovi Optimo Maximo = Best and Greatest Jupiter |
| IOV, IOVI | Jupiter, to Jupiter |
| IVL | Julius : used before emperor’s name |
| IVVENT | junior, young |
| LAETITIA | Joy (personification) |
| LEG | Legion (of the army) |
| MARS, MARTEM, MARTI | Mars, to Mars |
| MAX | Maximus : the greatest |
| MILIT, MILITVM | army |
| MVTVA | mutual |
| NC, NOB C, NOB CAES | Nobilis Caesar : Noble Caesar |
| N, NOST | Noster : our (4th century) |
| N | nepos : grandson (1st/2nd century) |
| ORBIS | world |
| ORIENS | rising sun or fortune |
| P | Pius : happy (3rd/4th century) |
| PF | Pius Felix : pious happy (3rd/4th cent.) |
| PAC, PACIF, PACIFERO | pacifier, bringer of peace |
| PART, PARTHICO | Parthicus : a title, when used with name = defeater of the Parthians |
| PAX | Peace (personification) |
| PERP | Perpetuus : forever (1st century) |
| PERPETVITAS AVG | Immortality of the emperors |
| PM, PONT MAX | Pontifex Maximvs : high priest |
| PP | Pater Patriae : father of his country |
| PRINCIPI | first (among men), leader |
| PROFECTIO | departure |
| PROPVG, PROPVGNATOR | defender, used with Mars and Jupiter |
| PT | Pater : father (with AVGG; of Augusti) |
| POPVLI | people |
| PRON | pronepos : great grandson |
| PROVIDENTIAE | foresight (personification) |
| RECTOR | master |
| REDVCI | returning, leading back |
| REGINA | queen |
| REX | king |
| REIPVB, REIPVBLICAE | the Republic |
| RESTITVTOR | restorer |
| ROM, ROMANI, ROMANORVM | Rome, Roman |
| SALVS | Health and Safety |
| SARMATIA | the Sarmatians; a Germanic tribe |
| SC | Senatus Consulto = issued by the decree of the Senate |
| SM | Sacra Moneta : sacred money |
| SPES | hope (personification) |
| SOL, SOLI | the Sun god, to the Sun god |
| SPQR | SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS The Senate and the Roman People |
| STATOR | stabilizer |
| PR | same as SPQR above (1st/2nd century) |
| TEMP, TEMPORVM | time |
| TRANQVILLITAS | peace |
| TRP, TRIB POT, P | Tribvnicia Potestas : power of the tribune |
| TVTATORI | defender |
| VBERTAS | fertility (personification) |
| VICTOR | victor, defeater : title |
| VICTORIA | Victory (personification) |
| VIRTVS | Virtue, courage (personification) |
| VLTOR | avenger |
| VNMR | Venerabilis Memoria : revered memory |
| VOT, VOTA, VOTIS | Vota : vows |
| VRB, VRBIS | city |
Abbreviations of common Roman Names
| Abbreviation | Name |
| ANT | Antonius |
| AV, AVR | Aurelius |
| C | Caius |
| CL | Clodius |
| ESV | Esuvius |
| FL | Flavius |
| IVL | Julius |
| L | Lucius |
| LIC, LICIN | Licinus |
| M, MA | Marcus |
| P | Publius |
| Q | Quintus |
| SEPT | Septimius |
| SER | Servius |
| SEV | Severus |
| T | Titus |
| VA, VAL | Valerius |
| VIB | Vibus |
Abbreviations of less common Roman Names
| Abbreviation | Name |
| C | Caeliuss |
| Cn | Gnaeus |
| D | Decimus |
| DID | Didus |
| K | Kaeso |
| M | Messius |
| MAG | Magnus |
| OPEL | Opelius |
