The Symbolism Behind Roman Coin Jewellery

September 7, 2026

There is something inherently captivating about wearing a piece of history. Long before jewellery became an expression of personal style, it was used to communicate identity, status, protection and belief. Few forms of jewellery embody this connection to the past quite like Roman coin jewellery.

Ancient Roman coins were more than currency. Struck with portraits of emperors, gods, goddesses and powerful symbols, these small pieces of metal were a visual language of the Roman world. Today, when an ancient Roman coin is transformed into a pendant, ring or other piece of jewellery, its historical significance takes on a new life.

At Karen Liberman Jewellery, the incorporation of ancient artefacts into contemporary jewellery reflects my longstanding fascination with this dialogue between past and present. Each coin carries its own history, while its setting allows that history to become something wearable and entrenched in modernity.

What Did Roman Coins Symbolise?

In ancient Rome, coins were an extraordinarily powerful means of communication. As they circulated throughout the empire, they carried carefully chosen imagery and inscriptions that reinforced ideas about leadership, military victory, religion and prosperity.

Portraits of emperors were particularly significant. Their image on a coin was a way of extending the emperor's presence throughout the vast Roman Empire. The reverse of a coin could depict a deity, personification or symbolic scene communicating virtues such as victory, peace, abundance, strength and protection.

The Emperor: Power, Legacy and Identity

One of the most recognisable features of Roman coinage is the portrait of the emperor.

Roman emperors used coins to establish and reinforce their public image. Their portraits communicated authority and legitimacy, while inscriptions often identified their titles and achievements.

There is something poetic about taking an image created thousands of years ago to represent an emperor's lasting presence and allowing it to become part of a contemporary heirloom.

The Laurel Wreath: Victory and Protection

Among the most recognisable symbols associated with ancient Rome is the laurel wreath.

I adore incorporating gold laurel engravings on jewellery that features ancient roman coins, as this feels like a reverent nod to the past, allowing me to feel connected to traditions that are millennia old.

The laurel was closely associated with Apollo and became an emblem of victory, honour and achievement. Roman generals and emperors were depicted wearing laurel wreaths, particularly in connection with military triumphs.

Ancient traditions also associated the plant with protection and purification, giving the motif a deeper spiritual significance. This makes wearing jewellery featuring a laurel wreath the perfect protection talisman.

Gods and Goddesses in Roman Jewellery

Roman coins frequently depicted gods and goddesses, each carrying their own symbolism.

Venus, goddess of love and beauty, represented desire, fertility and attraction.

Minerva, goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, was associated with intelligence, courage and protection.

Fortuna, goddess of fortune and fate, represented luck, prosperity and the unpredictable nature of life.

Mars, god of war, embodied strength, courage and military power.

These figures transformed Roman coins into objects rich with meaning. Today, their presence in jewellery can provide a subtle and deeply personal connection to the qualities they represented.

From Ancient Artefact to Modern Heirloom

It is magical to think that an ancient Roman coin that travelled through the markets and cities of the Roman Empire can be worn today as a pendant, layered alongside contemporary jewellery or treasured as an heirloom.

Its purpose has changed, but its ability to tell a story remains.

This is an object created in the ancient world that survives into the present, taking on a new meaning with every person who encounters it. Set into gold and worn as jewellery, it becomes part of another story – one that will hopefully continue long into the future.

At Karen Liberman Jewellery, this meeting of history and contemporary craftsmanship is at the heart of my work. Ancient coins, gemstones and artefacts are given new life, creating pieces that exist somewhere between jewellery and collectible art.

Because ultimately, the most meaningful jewellery does more than adorn us.

It remembers.