DIVVS VERVS, bare head right / CONSECRATIO, eagle standing right, head left. 18mm, 2.81 grams. RIC 596a [Aurelius], RSC 55, BMC 503

Minted under Marcus Aurelius. Ex-Steve Album

The "limes denarii" are thought to be tin or another base alloy denarii minted either officially or pseudo-officially on the fringes of the empire out of necessity. Issued during the Severan period, perhaps they were used to pay soldiers on the extreme frontiers of the Roman territories or maybe to bolster the economy of regions far from the normal means of monetary distribution. Termed "limes" (for "border" in latin) they may also be officially sanctioned issues for use in regions where political unrest made it hazardous to ship large amounts of silver. These low value issues could have served troops on the front and been redeemable for good coinage when they returned to the stable regions.