Where to buy cheap souvenirs in Rome, and which ones are worth keeping

Four checks for a cheap souvenir, in any shop

At fifteen euros nobody expects bronze, but four things are fair to expect anywhere.

• A price you can read. It lets you compare calmly and decide without being rushed. If there is none, ask before you get attached.
• The material, in plain words. “Steel blade”, “bronze-effect resin”, “copper finish” tell you what you are holding; “metal” alone, or “antique style”, tells you almost nothing.
• Where it was made, or an honest “not stated”. If the label is silent, ask: a shop that admits it does not know beats one that guesses.
• The word reproduction, or replica. Anything sold as “authentic Roman” at souvenir prices is not what it claims. Every piece below is a modern reproduction, sold as one.

Five more detailed checks are in our guide to real souvenirs near the Colosseum.

From €15: reproductions of ancient coins

At €15, a small budget buys a coin: modern reproductions of ancient coins, copper finish at €15, brass finish at €20. Identified subjects include Hadrian arriving in Africa and Caligula addressing his cohorts, plus one coin that is not Roman: a Greek coin of Syracuse, with a galloping four-horse chariot and a flying Victory. We call it Greek, not a sestertius.

A coin fits in a pocket, so it gets home without any planning. For now the coins, like other small pieces not yet online, are sold in the shop only, and subjects change as they sell: ask at the counter.

€35 to €89.90: decorative blades, and the flight home

Online, between €35 and €89.90 you will find mostly decorative blades:

• Roman pugio, carved wooden grip (€35): polished steel blade, carved wooden grip, engraved metal fittings.
• Constantine Chi-Rho gladius (€35): red lacquered scabbard, gold-brass fittings and the monogram that, by tradition, Constantine put on his standards before the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD. Unsharpened, with a linen gift pouch.
• Gladius of Egypt (€65): steel blade, ornate engraved scabbard.
• SPQR pugio, eagle pommel (€65): dark oxidised metal with gold accents, SPQR cut into the blade.
• Roman pugio, lion and wolf scabbard (€89.90): polished steel blade; on the scabbard, a lion for courage and the she-wolf of Rome's founding myth.

All five are decorative replicas. The catch is the journey: blades do not go in hand luggage. For checked baggage, ask your airline first; or have us ship them. Blades ship to twelve countries only: Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, the United States, Canada and Brazil.

€80 to €109: a helmet on a stand, or Caesar

The Roman centurion helmet with steel stand (€80) is polished steel with brass detailing and the red transverse crest that let a centurion's men find him in battle: a wearable replica, with its own stand. At the same price the Maximus gladiator helmet (€80), polished steel on a steel stand, is inspired by Ridley Scott's Gladiator. Helmets are not blades: they ship to every destination we serve.

One step up is our best seller, the Julius Caesar bust (€109): bronze-effect resin, made in Italy. For bigger budgets, see our guide to Roman history gifts by price.

Getting it home for less

• Buy at the end of the day. Our shop, Souvenir and Roman history- Imperium Art, is open every day from 10:00 to 20:00: no carrying a helmet around the Forum.
• Or buy online. The blades, helmets and bust above can be bought in the shop at Via Cavour 280 or online through our Etsy boutique.
• Weigh the shipping against the price. Tracked shipping is free in Italy (2–4 working days); for other countries the cost is shown on Etsy before you pay. On a €35 piece, shipping can be a large share. EU customers have 14 days from delivery to return.