How to Identify Illyrian Coins

A Complete Guide to Dating, Attributing, and Understanding Illyrian Coinage

Introduction: Why Illyrian Coins Are Often Misidentified

Illyrian coins are among the most misunderstood ancient coins on the market. At first glance, many look similar — especially the famous cow-and-calf silver issues. As a result, Illyrian coins are frequently mislabeled as Greek, misattributed between cities, or misunderstood entirely.

Yet Illyrian coinage follows clear rules.

Once you understand authority, legends, symbols, and fabric, identifying Illyrian coins becomes systematic rather than guesswork. This guide brings together all Illyrian coin knowledge in one place, linking directly to the main pillar pages for deeper study.

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1. First Question: Is the Coin Illyrian?

Before naming a city or king, you must decide whether a coin belongs to Illyria at all.

Illyrian Coins Usually Share These Traits

• Found in the Adriatic–Balkan region

• Greek legends, not Latin

• Silver-heavy civic coinage

• Limited number of core designs

• Strong regional consistency

If a coin fits this profile, Illyria is a strong possibility.

👉 Parent pillar:
/illyrian-coins/

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2. Step One: Identify the Authority (WHO Issued the Coin)

All Illyrian coins fall into three authority groups:

🏛️ Civic Coinage

• Issued by cities

• Magistrate names appear

• No king named

• Long-term production

Main examples:

• Dyrrhachium

• Apollonia

👉 Civic pillars:

• /dyrrhachium-coinage/

• /apollonia-illyrian-coins/

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👑 Royal Coinage

• Issued by Illyrian kings

• King’s name appears

• Short production spans

• Politically charged

Known rulers:

• Monunius

• Gentius

👉 Royal pillars:

• /king-monunius-illyrian-coins/

• /king-gentius-coinage/

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🏛️ Roman Provincial Coinage

• Issued after Roman conquest

• Imperial portraits

• Roman authority

• Mostly bronze

👉 Transition pillar:
/illyria-under-rome-coinage/

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3. Step Two: Read the Legend (Even If It’s Incomplete)

Illyrian coins use Greek letters, even when issued by non-Greek rulers.

Key Legend Indicators

Even partial letters are enough when combined with imagery.

👉 Deep dive:
/illyrian-coin-legends-explained/

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4. Step Three: Analyze the Design (TYPE)

Design is the fastest identifier.

Common Illyrian Types

Cow and calf

• Civic silver

• Dyrrhachium or Apollonia

• Most common Illyrian type

Geometric or stellate reverse

• Civic administrative issues

Royal name + simplified imagery

• Monunius or Gentius

⚠️ Same design ≠ same mint
Legends and style decide attribution.

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5. Step Four: Compare Style and Fabric

Fabric (Physical Clues)

• Thick or compact flans

• Natural wear patterns

• Silver quality varies by period

Style (Artistic Clues)

• Letter forms

• Engraving quality

• Symbol placement

Style is especially important when legends are worn.

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6. Step Five: Weight and Metal

Typical Illyrian Standards

• Silver dominates

• Civic weights are consistent

• Royal issues vary more

Large deviations may indicate:

• Roman period

• Later imitation

• Misattribution

👉 Values & standards:
/illyrian-coin-values/

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7. Distinguishing Dyrrhachium vs Apollonia (Most Common Problem)

Dyrrhachium

• More numerous magistrates

• Slightly heavier presence in trade

• Often better documented

Apollonia

• More restrained style

• Fewer known magistrates

• Subtle legend differences

👉 Direct pillars:

• /dyrrhachium-coinage/

• /apollonia-illyrian-coins/

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8. Dating Illyrian Coins

Illyrian coins are dated by:

• Magistrate sequence

• Hoard evidence

• Style evolution

• Historical context

There are no exact years — ranges are used instead.

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9. Common Identification Mistakes

❌ Assuming all cow-and-calf coins are Greek
❌ Ignoring partial legends
❌ Confusing Roman provincial issues with civic coins
❌ Trusting dealer labels blindly

Correct identification always uses multiple clues together.

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10. When Identification Is Uncertain

This is normal — even experts leave coins unattributed.

Best practice:

• Record what you know

• Compare with references

• Avoid forced attributions

Uncertainty is better than error.

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Internal Linking (PILLAR NETWORK)

🔼 Main pillar:
/illyrian-coins/

🔁 Core pillars:

• /dyrrhachium-coinage/

• /apollonia-illyrian-coins/

• /king-monunius-illyrian-coins/

• /king-gentius-coinage/

• /illyria-under-rome-coinage/

🔽 Expansion hubs:

• /roman-coins/

• /ancient-coin-identification/

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Final Thoughts: From Confusion to Clarity

Illyrian coins reward careful observation. They are not flashy, but they are deeply historical, preserving the civic, royal, and political life of a region often overlooked.

Once you understand:

• authority

• legends

• symbols

• fabric

Illyrian coin identification becomes not difficult — but logical.

This page is your foundation.