Aquileia was founded by the Romans as a Latin colony in 181 B.C. in the north-eastern corner of the plain of the Po at the northern end of the Adriatic. It grew to become one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the Roman Empire. After the city was destroyed by Attila the Hun in A.D. 453, the survivors clustered in a drastically reduced settlement around the Basilica, which is the origin of the small present-day town. Most of the ancient city lies unexcavated beneath the surrounding fields. Dates of mint operation: 294 - 324 and 334 - 430 A.D. Mintmarks: AQ, AQOB, AQPS, AQVI, AQVIL, SMAQ.