Who owns the oldest coins with an actual date on it?

Yesterday, I found a 2016 10pence coin in my change, and it is the first coin of this year I have seen. This got me thinking, I know that is difficult sometimes, but who has the oldest coin with an actual date on the coin.
Date does not have to be Gregorian, but can be translated into Gregorian.
I do not know my oldest coin, but it will be no where near what some of you collect.
Remember, it must have a date on the coin.
Please add photographs.
No prizes, just admiration.

My oldest dated coin is dated 1555.

I think the oldest I have is a 1720 British ½ penny.

The oldest Danish coin with a date is from 1234 and is apparently also the oldest European coin with a date:

http://www.bruun-rasmussen.dk/sold-items.do?iid=300230268&lang=sv&mode=detail (Danish)

My oldest dated is 1570 Lithuanian 2 Dinar. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces36694.html Sorry, no pictures...

1509 Lithuanian halfgroat.....
but the first dated coin with the Lithuanian Coat of Arms was the Glogowian groat 1506 http://www.historiapieniadza.pl/wp/?page_id=475

Quote: "Hopeakettu"​My oldest dated coin is dated 1555.

IMHO the date of this Hungarian denar must be 1553, to examine the picture ....

Quote: "gdrsb"​

Quote: "Hopeakettu"​My oldest dated coin is dated 1555.

​IMHO the date of this Hungarian denar must be 1553, to examine the picture ....

​That's what I thought first but if you examine it more closely you can see that it's not 3

Hopeakettu

IMHO the fourth cipher is closer to 3, than to 5.......

My oldest dated coin is 1559: https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces88379.html

I also have an Elizabeth I milled sixpence from 1562.

Here is the earliest dated coin from the British Isles (the 1539 version) for anyone that is interested.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces88487.html

Depends on what calendar/dating system you are talking about. There are so different types of dated coins, including coins that are dated using regnal dates like the Byzantine Coins. Some coins have a "fixed" date and hence doesn't change from year to year. Islamic coins are also dated using the Hijri calendar. One of the best books on this subject is Sweeny's two-volume "Tempus in Nummis" books.

So, what type of calendar are you referring to (probably AD )...

Check out the following awesome website:

http://www.medievalcoinage.com/earlydated/

Quote: "Hopeakettu"​

​Thank You!

Since you requested non-Gregorian, how about this one:

Georgia: Giorgi IV Lasha (1208-1223) AE unit (Kap-66; Bennett-179)

Obv: Design of six knots surrounding two-line central Mtavruli legend: ႢႨႻႤ / ႧႫႰႱႠ (Giorgi son of Tamar). Outside of knot design, circular Mtavruli legend: † ႱႾႤႪႨႧႠ ႶႧႠ ႨႵႬ ႽႤႣႠ ႥႺႾႪႱ ႠႫႱ ႵႩႱ ჃႪ († In the name of God, this coin was struck in the year 430 of the koronikon)

Rev: Central four-line Arabic inscription:

ملك الملوك (The King of kings,)
جلال الدنيا و الدين (Glory of the world and faith,)
كيوركى بن تامار (Giorgi, son of Tamar,)
حسام المسيح (sword of the Messiah)

Marginal Persian legend: بنام خداى پاك اين سيمرا زده اند بتاريح چهار صی وسی سال (In the name of God most pure, this coin was struck in the year 430)



The Georgian year is encoded using the "Paschal cycle". This dating system is based on the creation date being March 22, 5604 BC. From this date, they ran through a 532-year cycle. So, Year 1 was March 22, 5604 BC for the 1st cycle. And the 13th cycle's Year 1 was March 22, 781 AD. For years 346 to 532, add 780 to obtain the corresponding year in AD. The year starts off at March 22nd for each AD year. So, 430 + 780 = March 22, 1210 AD.

So, how's March 22, 1210 AD? I do have a few older coins that use regnal and arabic calendars

Amazing stuff posted here!

I used to have a hammered Medieval coin from Europe but I sold it a while ago and now my oldest coin is a Charles II Maundy fourpence from 1683. I'll post a pic tonight when I get home

My oldest coin is from 1597 (that's my coin pictured - I added the page for it):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces86250.html

I have two French tokens, one dated 1593 and one 1596 ...


https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces85344.html

Quote: "Jesse11"My oldest coin is from 1597 (that's my coin pictured - I added the page for it):
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces86250.html

My oldest coin is also a Philips II, Spanish Netherlands (Brabant) (https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces8586.html), but mine is 1/2 liard 1596:

I've only a couple pre-1850 coins. The oldest is an Austro-Hungarian Ein Kreuzer 1816A which I found in a bulk lot.

My oldest coin with a Gregorian date is a Salzburg zweier from 1517. My oldest coin with a non-Gregorian date that I successfully identified is a Russian wire kopek from 7105 AM (1597 AD)... still looking for the 7104 (1596) version, which is the oldest dated coin of my country.

I also have a few 6th century AD Byzantine coins with readable regnal years where I haven't figured out the emperor yet (and a few with readable emperor names but unreadable regnal years), and a 1st century BC coin from Antioch that is supposed to have a date but on my example the date is off flan (again, still looking for any BC - or early AD for that matter - coins with actual dates, but they will probably be too expensive).

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces54842.html

This coin has actual date on it which is Saka Era 287 (365 AD). The coins of Western Satraps had dates on the back of king's head but generally are off flan. But dates can be seen in few specimens.

More on Rudrasena III coins here with dates, http://coinindia.com/galleries-rudrasena3.html

1656. A halfcrown.

The oldest coin that I have with date is that of Rudrasena I of Western Kshatrapas. The date is in Saka era 137 i.e. 215 AD

I guess we should count regnal years in Roman/Byzantine coins, even the regnal years are not corresponding to one but two following years.

The Gamma on the reverse right is the 3rd regnal year, the Emperor is Diocletian... So 286-287.

Oh, more difficult: Phoenician years.

Phoenician year 114 according to BMC, aka. 146/145 BC.

Hello,

European dated coinage is quite rare before 1500.
Nice examples of Aachen coins in Frey's document but there are not many in Numista ...
I have a number of small pfennigs from Austria and duchies, and from Salzburg dated before 1520.
My oldest is 1505 for Gorizia, northern Italy, at that time Habsburg possesion:

Wow - some of these are old. This all I can handle



British 1 shilling 1820

I have a 1763 Rosa Hiberna Half penny and an 18th century Dutch Duit, but both are so worn i can't make out the dates on them well enough.

Very well preserved shilling you have there.

My oldest dated coin is from 1534, a groschen from the Duchy of Prussia.


Imagine telling someone in Martin Luther's time that this tiny vassal of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would one day unify the German states into a central authority independent of either the Pope (in Rome) or the HRE Emperor (Vienna)!

My oldest dated coin is dated 1481.

Wow, did not realise this topic would reappear after two years in the darkness. Still some interesting coins out there.

Quote: "January First-of-May"again, still looking for any BC - or early AD for that matter - coins with actual dates, but they will probably be too expensive

​Have since purchased a few of both (though most of the early AD dates are illegible and/or only barely legible); my oldest coin with an actual date is now this type (or similar - not sure if this type exactly), date ΔOP = 174 SE = 138 BC (technically, 139/138 BC, but the ruler's reign apparently didn't start until partway into 138 BC).

I used to wonder whether there are known dated coins (in any calendar) from every single year since 1 AD; sadly, apparently there are several almost certain gaps in the 4th and 5th centuries AD, though the other centuries are likely complete.

I am reviving this thread to answer the OP's question.


This is an Obol minted in the Es-Safar year 1204. Augustas introduced this calendar
system to Spain in the year 38 B.C. This would then translate to 1166 A.D. by the calendar we now use.
This groschen was minted in the year 1374 A.D. It is the first collectable Early Dated European coin
using our current calendar system.

This gold coin is the earliest dated gold coin using the current calendar system.

There are of course many Muslim issued coins along with Hindu and Oriental
issued coins that have earlier dates, but they are on a different calendar system.
Several Byzantine rulers also placed dates on coins according to the year of their rule.
If you would like to see other pre-1500 A.D. coins please let me know.

Earliest with proper readable date


1670 Halfcrown - England

Earliest with easily datable mintmark


1635/36 Halfcrown - England, Tower mint London. The crown at 8 oclock on the left photo is the mintmark.

Earliest indirect dating

Could be barking up wrong tree here, but coin is 303AD and has "XX" on the obverse - meaning 20 in Roman Numerals - 303AD was the 20th year of Diocletians Reign (283/4 - 308AD)
Clutching at straws maybe, but Roman rulers were known to use regnal years on some coins.