To my best understanding, a ‘
Limes denarius’ is an Æ (base metal)
denarius.
I once found reference to some brief but very interesting remarks pertaining to them through
a Post of a fellow
FORVM member – which are at
Beast Coins.
To cite & copy:
“These enigmatic little pieces belong to a group of coins referred to as
limes denarii,
limes falsa or AE
denarii. There are numerous theories as to their purpose. Some believe they were minted in the outskirts of the
Roman Empire to circulate there. Some contend they are non-Roman
imitative (barbarous)
types. One theory I have is they were made for the soldiers defending the outer regions of the empire, paid to them in lieu of silver, in the event the territory was lost. This would not have not enriched an enemy
victor of a lost region with silver or gold. With my theory, these AE pieces could, if a soldier returned to a main
part of the empire in retirement or if an
area was forfeited, could in turn be redeemed for equivalent AR
denarii, just as US soldiers used scrip during foreign wars. We will probably never know their purpose, but they can be found in excellent condition and are very collectable.”
Link may be viewed
here. (ca. ¼ of the way down from top).
Best,
Tia