Roman Coin | Silver Antoninianus

History of the Artifact The antoninianus, introduced in the early 3rd century CE, replaced the silver denarius as Rome faced economic instability and inflation. Officially valued at two denarii, it became known as the "double denarius," though its silver content was only slightly higher than that of a single denarius. This shift aimed to meet financial demands, especially for military expenses, but contributed to further currency devaluation over time. These coins tell the story of the early stages of the fall of the Roman empire. As the empire’s finances began to dwindle and political instability became rampant, the Roman mints were unable to mint the needed quantities of pure silver content Denarii that had been produced in the Roman Empire since its inception. It was under Emperor Caracalla whose full name, Marcus Aurelius Antoninianus, would give name to this new coin, that the Antoninianus began minting.  Larger in diameter than the Denarius, the Antoninianus is easily identifiabl