A Handbook of Late Roman Bronze Coin Types, 324 – 395, by Caza, Shawn M

This comprehensive catalogue, featuring over 260 illustrations and detailed entries for each bronze reverse type struck from AD 324 to 395, provides in-depth information on late Roman bronze coinage systems. Each entry includes specifics on dates, mints, notable figures, weight standards, significant variations, and the history and meaning behind the legend and design.

The first chapter offers extensive introductory notes on the life-cycle of late Roman bronze coins, covering aspects like their manufacture, circulation, loss, and the effects of burial. It also discusses their weight, fineness standards, and contemporary value. Subsequent chapters, each focusing on a specific short time period, include introductory sections that delve into the history of that era and the metrology (weight, size, and metallic composition), overall patterns, and mint and field marks of the coinage from those years.

This catalogue is the first to provide a detailed examination of coinage from this period by reverse design, offering unique insights compared to studies focused on mints or emperors. It incorporates the latest numismatic scholarship, along with extensive footnotes and a comprehensive bibliography.

Indexed and cross-referenced entries make this catalogue invaluable for collectors, cataloguers, and researchers. Its historical and metrological discussions will appeal to scholars, numismatists, and students, while the focus on reverse types offers scholars working with hoards or site finds deeper insights into dates and other coinage aspects than simply identifying the emperor.