Roman coins were a lot like modern day newspapers. Learn how to ‘read’ an ancient Roman coin and discover what it reveals about historical events. Gold Augustus (Octavian) coin. Minted 27BCE. Image via the British Museum Coins in ancient Rome were, in some ways, similar to modern-day newspapers. The obverse (front) of the coin often depicted the head of the current emperor while the image on the reverse (back) was often used by the emperor to promote important information abo