Numismatic and History Discussion Forums > History and Archeology

How long were Roman coin in circulation for?

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Roman_Egypt:
This may sound like a stupid question and a broad one at that, but how long was a certain coin in circulation? Like I know Byzantine gold was found in Viking Hoards and such, but were Roman silver and bronze coins ever used after the fall of Rome?

Thanks for your help!

Wm1771:
I've read several contemporaneous accounts of Roman bronze coins continuing to circulate in Britain up through the 18th century.

EDIT: This is the only record I could remember, of Roman bronzes from a hoard circulating (on a small scale) as farthings in 1741. Something similar probably happened with other hoards dispersed back then.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/...

Rev. Gilbert White, The natural history and antiquities of Selborne, London, Printed for J. and A. Arch [etc., 1837], Source: HathiTrust.org
cf. pp. 516-517

Robert_Brenchley:
At some point, large numbers of siliquae were clipped, and it's always been suggested that this happened after Rome withdrew from Britain.

Jochen:
I have read (but where?) that Roman sestertii were used until begin of 19th century as sous pieces in France.

Jochen

*Alex:
I very much doubt that any Roman coin continued in circulation as currency for any length of time after the end of the Roman Empire.
The coins used as farthings in Britain and Sous in France in the 18th century were, I am sure, coins from casual  finds and or hoards which were utilised as "small change". At that period, certainly in Britain, there was a shortage of small change and this deficit was made good by hundreds of diverse penny, halfpenny and farthing tokens being struck by so many different individuals that the odd Roman coin or two would not have had much difficulty in being accepted by the general public.
Early Empire asses and sestertii were not even legal currency in the late Empire itself so why would they continue in regular use as currency after it fell?

Late Empire siliquae are certainly very commonly clipped, but when this was done is a moot point. These were silver coins and had a bullion value which the base metal coins lacked. Again speaking of Britain, when the Roman army withdrew around A.D. 410 there was no reason for the Romano Britons to think that they would not be returning at a later date but there would be no new coinage coming in after that and so no doubt people made do with what they had until they had to face the truth that the Empire was finished. I think that the clipping probably took place during the turbulent times surrounding the period of the Roman withdrawal. After the Empire was gone there would be no need for clipping because the whole coin would be bullion it's face value now meaningless with no state to back it up.

Alex

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