These genuine ancient Roman bronze coins from the third and fourth centuries A.D. offer a glimpse of the brutal roots of modern western civilization evident in the Roman Empire. The obverse side of each coin shows the portrait of of the emperor at the time the coins were minted. The reverse shows pictures and phrases depicting current concerns, history and mythology. Historians know very little about the names of coinage of this period due to the chaos of the era. It is known that the bronze coins eventually replaced silver coins as the most commonly used money after a long, gradual reduction of the silver content of the coins. The size, weight and the names of the coins also changed over time. Many emperors instituted monetary reforms in an effort to stem the conusion, but typically contributed to the problems. There were at least fifteen different denominations minted since the early days of the Roman Republic. The Roman emperors depicted on the coins in this set are: GALLIENUS(253-268 A.D.), CLAUDIUS II (268-270 A.D.), TETRICUS I (270-273 A.D.), AURELIAN (270-275 A.D.), PROBUS (276-282 A.D.), MAXIMIAN I (286-310 A.D.), LICINIUS I (308-324 A.D.), LICINIUS II (317-324 A.D.), CRISPUS (317-326 A.D.), CONSTANTINE I (307-337 A.D.), CONSTANTINE II (337-340 A.D.), CONSTANS (337-350 A.D.), CONSTANTIUS II (337-361 A.D.), CONSTANTIUS GALLUS (351-354 A.D.), JULIAN II (360-363 A.D.), VALENTINIAN I (364-375 A.D.), VALENS (364-378 A.D.), GRATIAN (367-383 A.D.), THEODOSIUS I (379-395 A.D.) and ARCADIUS (395-405 A.D.). Coins that make up this set were accumulated over a period of 20 years, purchased individually and in small groups from scores of dealers and collectors over that period. As a result, only a small number of these collections were able to be made, and no two are exactly alike. The coins have all been inspected for quality and authenticity, expertly conserved and attributed to their respective time periods and emperors, then encapsulated in custom made archival materials and presented in a specially designed, hand-made, hardwood and brass display case with a Certificate of Authenticity. This stunning set would make a truly extraordinary gift for any student of world history or collector of world coins.