Identify year of coin: Roman coins
Determining the year of minting of a coin is an important aspect of the identification of your coin. For most countries this isn't hard, as it is written on the coin using the Gregorian or Western calendar. But when it comes, for instance, to Chinese, Japanese or Arab coins, this could be a more hazzardess job.
Therefore, I tried to make a tutorial (based on several websites and Wikipedia) how to read these years and how to translate them to the Gregorian calendar.
Therefore, I tried to make a tutorial (based on several websites and Wikipedia) how to read these years and how to translate them to the Gregorian calendar.
Roman Dating System
Roman numerals are mostly used on coins of Vatican City. The year the numbers represent refer to the Western calendar.
The system of the Roman numerals is quite simple. Every number is represented by what we nowadays call a letter. The trick is just to add up every number each letter represents. Underneath are the numbers shown which are represented by the numerals/letters.
The system of the Roman numerals is quite simple. Every number is represented by what we nowadays call a letter. The trick is just to add up every number each letter represents. Underneath are the numbers shown which are represented by the numerals/letters.
| I | V | X | L | C | D | M |
| 1 | 5 | 10 | 50 | 100 | 500 | 1000 |
The letters are ordened by value, meaning the largest numeral is placed to the most left, the smallest to the most right.
i.e. MDCLX = 1000 + 500 + 100 + 50 + 10 = 1660
When the same numeral is placed next to the other it is just added likewise.
i.e. MMXII = 1000 + 1000 + 10 + 1 + 1 = 2012
When a smaller numeral is placed in front of a larger numeral it means a substraction instead of an addition.
i.e. IV = 5 - 1 = 4
i.e. MCMXCIX = 1000 + (1000 - 100) + (100 - 10) + (10 - 1) = 1999
i.e. MDCLX = 1000 + 500 + 100 + 50 + 10 = 1660
When the same numeral is placed next to the other it is just added likewise.
i.e. MMXII = 1000 + 1000 + 10 + 1 + 1 = 2012
When a smaller numeral is placed in front of a larger numeral it means a substraction instead of an addition.
i.e. IV = 5 - 1 = 4
i.e. MCMXCIX = 1000 + (1000 - 100) + (100 - 10) + (10 - 1) = 1999
