Coin Quiz

This quiz is not intended to be easy. Its creator will be disappointed if very many people get every question right (or miss them all either). The quiz is intended to test coin identification and abstract thinking skills more than skill in using Search Engines. Still, you are perfectly free to use search engines like Google, Bing or other resources that may seem desirable. The prize of satisfaction should be greater than the award of the blue ribbon.

Each group of questions references the coins in the photo above that series of questions. Some questions are easier than others. If you feel my coins are less than perfectly clear specimens, you might wish to clarify a reading by researching matching coins on acsearch.info, wildwinds.com, vcoins.com or other sites of your choice. It will not be necessary to read every letter on every coin to answer the questions but it would help if you identified as many of the coins as completely as possible before trying to answer some of the questions. Coins in the individual photos are only approximatly to scale within that image. There is absolutely no relationship in the scales between different photos.

Questions that were good in 1990 have been rendered useless by the advent of the Search Engine. Questions now need to be Google/Bing-proof but still capable of distinguishing the students who understand the material from the clueless with computer skills. Answering the questions on this page will be greatly assisted by the use of search engines but I hope you will not find (or post) a site with the answers.

Looking for the Answers? I did not post a key. Members of the discussion groups at Forvm can Private Message me (dougsmit) with questions but I will not give answers in public postings. The idea of this quiz is to give an opportunity to have fun and learn a thing or two not to get a grade of A+. I offer no prizes for 'winners' but would be interested in hearing from those who think they beat the quiz and have a question to add to the challenge at the bottom of this page. Obviously I would enjoy hearing from anyone who finds an error on this (or any) page. Please: Have Fun!

Question Group One - Constantine and his Sons:

  • 1-1. If the title of the above image is "Constantine and his Sons" which coin(s) should be removed from the group? (Answer with letters A-T)
  • 1-2. If the title of the above image is "Constantinian Era Billon/Bronze Coins" which coin(s) should be removed from the group? (Answer with letters A-T)
  • 1-3. How many different mint cities are represented on this image?
  • 1-4. Name the mint cities that are represented on this composite by ONLY one coin.
  • 1-5. Which coin shows an Augustus holding a mappa? (Answer with letter A-T)
  • 1-6. Which coin names a specific enemy of Rome? (Answer with letter A-T)
  • 1-7. How many of these coins were issued after the death of Constantine I?
  • 1-8. While he is not shown on any of these coins, reference is made to Licinius I one one of these coins. Which one? (Answer with letter A-T)
  • 1-9. Which pagan god is shown on more than one of these coins? (Hint: Victory is a personification - not a god.)
  • 1-10. Not all Constantinian mint cities are represented in the image above. Of mints not included, which was the most significant city?
  • Question Group Two - Enemies of Rome:

  • 2-1. Select, in order, three coins related to each other by their makers' parts in the discovery, theft and return of the same item. (Answer with letters A-I) Name the item.
  • 2-2. Coin 'C' is very common. Perhaps that has to do with the Romans having paid a famous enemy 2,100 Roman pounds of gold when this coin was made. Who received the gold?
  • 2-3. Select (Answer with letters A-I) a pair of coins from a time Rome was victorious and Rome's most famous defeated enemy.
  • 2-4. Select a pair of coins of Rome's most disgraced Emperor and the man who disgraced him. (Answer with letters A-I)
  • 2-5. Coin 'I' relates to another great Roman disgrace but I do not have the correct coin to pair with it. Describe the most appropriate coin for this use. (Ten words or less)
  • Question Group Three - Is it Real?:

  • 3-1. Which (answer using letters A-L) of these coins is a genuine 'ancient coin' but was struck by a usurper who never ruled the entire Empire?
  • 3-2. Which (answer using letters A-L) of these fakes would have been an excellent inclusion in the above Question Group Two if it were genuine?
    Clarification: The answer to question 3-2 is not a 'pair' with a coin already shown in Group Two but refers to a different enemy.
  • 3-3. Which (answer using letters A-L) of these coins is termed a "fourree" and shows evidence of the use of silver foil in its production?
  • 3-4. Which (answer using letters A-L) of these items is considered a 'Paduan' replica of an original Roman medallion?
  • 3-5. Coin 'G' is recognized as the work of what 20th century American counterfeiter copying a famous German counterfeiter of the early 19th century?
  • 3-6. Which (answer using letters A-L) of these coins illustrates the mismatch of obverse and reverse dies from two different emperors?
  • 3-7. What is the best evidence that coin 'K' is not an official mint product?
  • 3-8. Which (answer using letters A-L) of these coins is termed a 'tourist grade' cast fake of modern manufacture?
  • 3-9. Which (answer using letters A-L) of these coins is a barbarous copy of an extremely common Roman coin?
  • 3-10. Which (answer using letters A-L) of these coins is termed a "Barbarous Radiate"?
  • Question Group Four -Denominations and Values:

    Note: While both sides of the coins are shown, for the purpose of the questions requiring counting or value, both sides should be considered as one coin.

  • 4-1. Which (answer using letter A-T) of these coins bears a number giving the value of the coin in denarii commune?
  • 4-2. Which (answer using letter A-T) of these coins bears a number giving the number of coins struck from a Roman pound of metal?
  • 4-3. How many of these coins bear numbers giving the value of the coins in asses? Which (answer using letters A-T) ones?
  • 4-4. Coin U bears a value mark giving its worth as a fraction of an as. What is that fraction?
  • 4-5. Which (answer using letter A-U) of these coins bears reference to tax relief?
  • 4-6. What is the Latin name for the metal from which coin B was struck?
  • 4-7. What is the meaning of "OF II" across the field of coin S?
  • 4-8. Marcus has coins A, B, C, K, L and M. Publius has coins G, H, I and J. Which boy has more money? How much more?
  • 4-9. What is the total value of the coins A-M (the first four rows) expressed in asses? Hint: Coin F weighs 1.4g.
  • 4-10. Which (answer using letter A-U) two coins are called 'Antoniniani' even though their Roman name is not known?
  • Question Group Five - Mostly Mints:

  • 5-1. How many different Roman Emperors are shown on these nine coins? (Count rulers who became Emperor even if they were not at the time this coin was made.)
  • 5-2. Which (answer using letters A-I) of these coins were struck at a mint in modern day Italy?
  • 5-3. Which (answer using letters A-I) of these coins were struck at a mint in modern day Syria?
  • 5-4. Which (answer using letters A-I) of these coins were struck at a mint in a city that is the capital of the modern day country in which they are located?
  • 5-5. What is the meaning of the letter in the reverse field of coin F? (Answer will be one word and one numeral)
  • 5-6. Which (answer using letters A-I) of these coins bear a mark referring to the purity of the metal from which they were struck?.
  • 5-7. Which (answer using letters A-I) of these coins show a ruler whose brother was also an Emperor?
  • 5-8. Which (answer using letter A-I) of these coins would provide the terminus post quem for the burial of a pot hoard containing the coins in this image?
  • 5-9. How many of these coins were coated with a silver wash to improve their appearance when new?
  • 5-10. How many of these coins bear a mintmark using at least one letter of the name of the mint city?
  • Question Group Six - Numbers:

    We all know Roman numerals but the Romans did not always use Roman numerals for every purpose. All five of these coins have in common the same number. That same number is expressed in a different way on each of the five coins.

  • 6-1. What is the number that appears on all five coins?
  • 6-2. What is the purpose of the number on the Provincial Coin? The answer need not be more than two words.
  • 6-3. What is the purpose of the number on coins A and C? There are two acceptable words but this answer only requires one of the two words.
  • 6-4. In twenty words or less: Explain why the number as used on coins A and C was expressed in a different form.
  • 6-5. Place these five coins in chronological order using a string of the five ID letters (e.g. ABCDE).
  • Optional Challenge:

    So, you answered all of my questions with no trouble? Consider, then my challenge:

    Write and answer one additional question using any image or images provided above. For this purpose, a question is will be considered to be better if it tests thinking skills or application of facts rather than simple regurgitation of data. The most difficult question is not necessarily the best. Questions that were good in 1990 have been rendered useless by the advent of the Search Engine. Questions now need to be Google/Bing-proof but still capable of distinguishing the students who understand the material from the clueless with computer skills. Answering the questions on this page will be greatly assisted by the use of search engines but I hope you will not find (or post) a site with the answers.

    Looking for the Answers? I did not post a key. Members of the discussion groups at Forvm can Private Message me with questions but I will not give answers to requests in public postings. The idea of this quiz is to give an opportunity to have fun and learn a thing or two not to get a grade of A+. I offer no prizes for 'winners' but would be interested in hearing from those who think they beat the quiz and have a question to add to the challenge.

    Back to Main page


    (c) 2011 Doug Smith