Roman Imperial Coins

Born in A.D. 86 Antoninus was made Caesar after Hadrian’s preferred heir Aelius died in A.D. 138. He succeeded to the throne that year and earned the title ‘Pius’ (which means dutiful or respectful) for two reasons. Firstly, by threatening the Senate with resignation if they did not deify Hadrian. Secondly, as Hadrian had wanted, he adopted young Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius at the start of his reign. What makes him so unusual is that he presided over the most peaceful reign of any emperor, governing well and wisely as a compassionate ruler. He set up charities, built public works for his people, and brought in laws such as ‘innocent until proven guilty’; some historians have argued it could be the greatest collective human happiness in a period of time in history. In Britain, he caused the ‘Antonine Wall’ to be built from the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde, north of Hadrian’s Wall, to keep the Picts out. We offer Silver Denarius of Antoninus Pius in a Very Fine condition, showing his laureate head on the obverse and various reverses.

Caracalla. A.D. 198-217. Rome - A.D. 201. AR Denarius. Laureate head right / 'RECTOR ORBIS' Caracalla, naked, standing facing, head left, holding globe & spear. Good Very Fine. A classic reverse design, old collectors ticket included.

Caracalla. A.D. 198-217., Moesia Inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum. Æ Assarion. Laureate head right / Nude, winged Eros standing left with legs crossed & holding torch. About Very Fine & Scarce.

Caracalla. A.D. 198-217., Rome - A.D. 213. AR Denarius. Laureate bust right / 'P M TR P XVI COS IIII P P' Serapis standing raising right hand & holding sceptre. Toned About Extremely Fine.

Born of humble origin around A.D. 245 in Dalmatia near Split, Diocletian bought order to the Roman world after nearly 60 years of chaos. Like many of his predecessors, he had a military career, rising through the ranks to high command. Following the murder of the emperor Numerian, Diocletian was proclaimed emperor by his troops. Then the defeat of Carinus (brother of Numerian) left Diocletian in undisputed control of the Empire. Having realised the empire was too big for one person alone he quickly appointed an old army colleague, Maximian, as co-emperor. He also settled the problem of succession by the appointment of two junior Caesars, one for himself and Maximian. Diocletian spent much of his reign campaigning against Rome’s enemies on the Danube frontier, in North Africa, Egypt and Syria. Although there were Christians at all levels of society at this time, Diocletian worshipped the old Roman gods and was responsible for A savage persecution of Christians. Diocletian was a prolific builder and did much to overhaul the tax system and reform the coinage in an attempt to counter inflation. He abdicated in A.D. 305 and retired to his palace in Split. He died there in A.D. 311 a broken man, having watched his reforms trampled to death by the likes of Constantine the Great and Licinius. The coins we offer here are Billon Antoninianus in Extremely Fine condition with various reverses

Flavius Julius Crispus was the eldest son of Constantine the Great, he became Caesar in March 317 AD but his promising career was cut short when he was executed in 326 AD on the orders of his own father. The exact details remain unclear but he must have committed an extremely serious crime to warrant such an act. These bronze Follis, minted in the name of Crispus at the London mint, show the extent of his power at the time. They feature his portrait on the obverse with the reverses mostly showcasing military motifs, such as a camp gate or a soldier holding a standard, symbolizing his victories in military campaigns. The London mint’s craftsmanship is evident in the detailed artistry of these coins and the PLON mintmark on the reverse provides the all-important evidence of these coins being minted in London sometime between 317-326 AD. They grade About Extremely Fine. Please Note: PHOTOGRAPHY IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COIN SUPPLIED

Titus Flavius Domitianus was born in Rome in A.D. 51 to the future emperor Vespasian. Side-lined for much of his youth, the sudden death of his older brother, Titus, in A.D. 81 made Domitian emperor. His tyrannical reputation is due to the historians writing about him being of the senatorial ruling class with whom he clashed politically; he executed at least 12 ex-consuls! But, when all the evidence is considered, including archaeology such as coins, it shows he was a ruthless but efficient ruler who provided the foundation of the peaceful second century. He was loved by the people and the army for improving their lives, for instance he improved the silver quality of the coinage, therefore public trust in money. We have a small group of Domitian’s silver Denarius grading Very Fine that show his bust on the obverse and his patron deity, Minerva, standing on the reverse. She was the Roman version of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategic warfare. Fill this gap in your collection and decide for yourself, Tyrant or Terribly Misunderstood?

Elagabalus (a nickname as he was yet another ‘Marcus Aurelius Antoninus’) was born in A.D. 204 to Julia Soaemias, the niece of the Empress, Julia Domna. He was made emperor in A.D. 218 by his powerful Grandmother, Julia Maesa (sister of Julia Domna). His four-year reign is infamous! He changed the principle god of Rome from Jupiter to his Eastern sun god, Elagabal. He broke taboos by marrying women and men but important among them was a Vestal Virgin, Julia Aquilia Severa, breaking an ancient law of Rome. That is all we can say here so we will leave the rest to your research! Eventually, the people were fed up; they tore him and his mother apart in the street. Julia Maesa had Severus Alexander seamlessly declared emperor. We have a very small group of Elagabalus’ silver Denarius in About Very Fine grade to offer. They show his bust on the obverse with various reverses. With a short four-year reign he is probably the hardest of the Severan Dynasty to get. Fill a gap in your collection with a coin of the infamous emperor.

Gallic Empire. Postumus. A.D. 260-269., Cologne - A.D. 260-265. Billon Ant. Radiate bust right / 'LAETITIA AVG' Galley sailing left over waves with rowers & steersman. Toned Very Fine with slightly weak reverse & Scarce. This likely commemorates a visit to Britain.

Gallienus ruled as sole emperor from A.D. 260-268 during one of the most difficult times in the history of the empire. Not only was the empire facing natural disasters and invasions on all sides but he had to face at least 8 rebellions from his own governors and generals! He issued a fantastic group of bronze Antoniniani coins to honour the Gods, asking for their protection against these troubles. Though made in Europe, these coins were used in Britain and are a large part of the Mildenhall Hoard in the British Museum. Depicted on these coins are a variety of animals, some real and some mythical, each linked to one of the Roman deities. We offer from this series the Gazelle, identified as different to the antelope by the numbers ‘XI’ or ‘XII’ underneath and the straight horns. These are designed to honour Diana, the sister of Apollo and the goddess of the hunt. This is likely to bring luck to hunting and like her brother, for plagues and disease. The coins are at least Very Fine but because of the chaos at the time remember they may be a little weakly struck. As always the first to order will get the best.

Gallienus ruled as sole emperor from 260-268 AD during one of the most difficult periods in the history of the Roman empire. Not only was the empire facing invasions on all sides but Gallienus had to face at least eight rebellions from his own governors and generals! During his reign, Gallienus issued a fantastic group of coins that we refer to as the ‘Zoo Series’ featuring a variety of animals, some real and some mythical, to honour the gods and asking for their protection. What makes these coins even more interesting is that we know that they circulated in Britain at the time because a large quantity of these types was found in the Mildenhall hoard in 1978 which is now in the British Museum. The coins would have been struck on the continent and transported to Britain. Here we offer the coins showing the Hippocamp, a mythological sea monster with the head and front legs of a horse but the winding tail of a fish or dolphin. These were struck to honour Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.

Gallienus ruled as sole emperor from A.D. 260-268 during one of the most difficult times in the history of the empire. Not only was the empire facing natural disasters and invasions on all sides but he had to face at least 8 rebellions from his own governors and generals! He issued a fantastic group of bronze Antoniniani coins to honour the Gods, asking for their protection against these troubles. We sold out of these coins last time but we managed to buy a small group of the winged horse, Pegasus, rearing on its hind legs. These are designed to honour Sol, the personification of the sun. These are linked to the protection of the games that were run in all the Gods honour. The coins are Very Fine but because of the chaos at the time remember they may be a little weakly struck.

Born in 218 AD, Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus grappled with the challenges of the Crisis of the Third Century during his reign as Roman Emperor. He faced invasions by barbarian tribes, numerous usurpers, and the loss of various provinces from the Empire. Responding to the crisis, Gallienus adopted a strategy of co-emperorship, appointing several co-rulers to help manage diff erent regions of the vast empire. However, this move, aimed at restoring stability, challenged his authority and contributed to the tragic death of his sons. Despite his efforts, Gallienus’s reign was marked by ongoing turmoil, and his life came to an abrupt end in 268 A.D. when he was assassinated during a coup. Nonetheless, historians acknowledge Gallienus for extending the empire’s existence by another 208 years. The Antoninianus coins we are offering, featuring exquisite silvering and either a standing or sitting figure on reverse, providing a glimpse into the earlier years of his reign when the silver content was more significant as towards the end of his reign they had reduced to around 6% silver, making these examples particularly scarce, they come in Very Fine grade.

Geta as Caesar. A.D. 198-209., Rome - A.D. 209. AR Denarius. Bare head right / 'PONTIF COS II' Genius/Bonus Eventus standing left sacrificing from patera over altar & holding corn ears. Flan crack, bright About Extremely Fine with a choice portrait.

Publius Septimius Geta was born in A.D. 189 to Julia Domna and Septimius Severus, before the latter was emperor. He was kept as Caesar from A.D. 198 until A.D. 209 when he was finally made joint Emperor with his father and brother, Caracalla. When their father died in A.D. 211 he advised the brothers “Stay friends, be generous to the soldiers and no one else matters”. But, they despised each other; Caracalla become a military ruler while Geta cultivated a philosopher style to emulate previous emperors like Marcus Aurelius. Within the year Caracalla arranged a peace meeting in their mother’s apartments but had Geta assassinated by Centurions. With Geta dead, Caracalla massacred 20,000 of his followers and enacted what we call a Damnatio Memoriae to destroy his memory. This makes his coins Scarce as they were melted down by Caracalla. We offer a Silver Denarius in Good Very Fine condition from throughout his reign. They show his bust on the obverse with various reverses. We have never been able to offer Geta like this before, he is normally too Scarce...

Gordian III had a rather good claim to the Imperial Throne, being closely related to no less than two previous senatorial emperors! He was the grandson of Gordian I, and the nephew of Gordian II, who declared themselves emperors in A.D. 238 from Carthage. They were in opposition to Maximinus Thrax but both were defeated by his loyal governor and died after a joint reign of just 21 days. The Roman Senate then appointed Balbinus and Pupienus as joint emperors; they immediately gave Gordian III the rank of Caesar to try to legitimise their own reign. Luckily for them, while this was happening Maximinus was killed by his own men. But, after just a few months, both Balbinus and Pupienus were themselves murdered by the Praetorian Guard. Gordian III was then proclaimed sole emperor and thus emerged from the turbulent events of A.D. 238 as sole ruler of the mighty Roman Empire, all at the age of thirteen! Very little is recorded of the events of Gordian’s six-year reign, which in ancient writings is usually a sign of peace and prosperity. In A.D. 242, he led an initially successful campaign against the Persians. But in A.D. 244, he was murdered following a plot led by the Praetorian Prefect who seized the throne and reigned as Philip I. The coins we offer here are billion silver Antoninianus showing Gordian III’s portrait on the obverse and various reverses. The grade of the coins is About Extremely Fine and as always with the Crisis of the Third Century, a minority will have weaker sections. As always, the first to order will get the best.

Born in 225 A.D, Gordian III became Roman Emperor at the age of 13, reigning from 238 to 244 AD. His ascension followed the chaotic Year of the Six Emperors. Despite his youth, Gordian III faced major challenges such as the Sassanian Empire’s incursions. Tragically, Gordian III died under suspicious circumstances at the age of 19, sparking speculation about possible foul play in the imperial court. These coins were struck in the ancient Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) which is famous for the council of Nicaea in 325 A.D by Constantine I which formed the basis for Christianity today. The coins have the legends in Greek with the bust of Gordian III on the obverse and three to four army standards on the reverse with the legend N-I-K-AI-EWN (Nicaea) between the standards.

Born in 225 A.D, Gordian III became Roman Emperor at the age of 13, reigning from 238 to 244 AD. His ascension followed the chaotic Year of the Six Emperors. Despite his youth, Gordian III faced major challenges such as the Sassanian Empire’s incursions. Tragically, Gordian III died under suspicious circumstances at the age of 19, sparking speculation about possible foul play in the imperial court. These coins were struck in the ancient Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) which is famous for the council of Nicaea in 325 A.D by Constantine I which formed the basis for Christianity today. The coins have the legends in Greek with the bust of Gordian III on the obverse and three to four army standards on the reverse with the legend N-I-K-AI-EWN (Nicaea) between the standards.

Gordian III. A.D. 238-244., Rome - A.D. 239. AR Antoninianus. Radiate bust right / 'PAX AVGVSTI' Pax standing left holding branch & sceptre. Toned Extremely Fine with slightly weak reverse.

Gordian III. A.D. 238-244., Rome - A.D. 241-243. AR Antoninianus. Radiate bust right / 'AETERNITATI AVG' Sol stg. left holding globe & saluting. Toned Good Very Fine.

Gordian III. A.D. 238-244., Rome - A.D. 244. AR Antoninianus. Radiate bust right / 'FELICIT TEMP' Felicitas stg. holding long caduceus & cornucopiae. Toned Good Very Fine.

Herennius Etruscus as Caesar. A.D. 250-251., Rome. AR Antoninianus. Radiate bust right / 'PIETAS AVGVSTORVM' Priestly implements: sprinkler, simpulum, jug, patera, & lituus. Good Very Fine with better portait & Very Scarce.

Julia Domna was descended from the Priest-Kings of Emesa, Syria. According to legend, before Septimius Severus was emperor he heard prophecy of a woman destined to marry a king, so he found her and married her! A very intelligent woman, celebrated for her learning, Julia Domna helped administer the empire holding many titles such as the exquisite “Mother of the Invincible Camps”. Like many empresses she also set fashion trends; it is thought she introduced the Romans to the wearing of wigs with her particular hairstyle still worn by Zenobia 60 years later! This hairstyle can be seen on the silver Denarius we offer in Extremely Fine. On the obverse is her draped bust with various goddesses on the reverse. We have not been able to offer Julia Domna like this in a long time, these high grade coins will make great gifts (especially for a lady) or grace any collection. Do not miss out!

Julia Domna, born in Syria around 170 AD, rose to prominence as the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus and mother of Emperors Caracalla and Geta. She accompanied her husband on his expedition to Britain in 208 AD, he later died in York in 211 AD. She wielded considerable influence during the Severan dynasty, engaging in politics, patronage of the arts, and philosophical discourse. Julia was known for her intellect, charm, and ambition, acting as a key advisor to Severus and promoting the careers of favoured courtiers. Her patronage supported poets, philosophers, and artists, contributing to the cultural vibrancy of the empire. Julia’s tragic end came with the conflict between her sons, resulting in Geta’s murder and Caracalla’s subsequent reign of terror. We have a small group of denarii all in Good Fine grade. They come with a bust of Julia Domna on the obverse and various deities on the reverse.

Born in 315 AD, Valerius Licinianus Licinius briefly ruled alongside his father, Licinius, in the early 4th century. He became Caesar in 317, co-ruling the Eastern Roman Empire. However, his reign was short-lived, as political turmoil and conflicts with the rival emperor Constantine the Great led to Licinius II's untimely demise. In 324 AD, he was possibly executed as part of the power struggles of the time. Licinius II remains a relatively obscure figure in Roman history, his significance overshadowed by the turbulent events of the era. We are offering Nummus from his short reign in Fine grade and all with Jupiter, king of the Gods, on the reverse.