Roman Imperial Coins

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., 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.

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.

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...

In A.D. 208 Septimius Severus set off for Britannia to conquer the island but he would never see Rome again! The people and the landscape of Caledonia (Scotland) proved too much and Septimius Severus, exhausted by his efforts, fell ill and died in York in early A.D. 211. His dying words to his sons were ‘stay friends, be generous to the soldiers and no one else matters’. In his reign he had increased a soldiers pay from 375 to 500 silver Denari a year, a good wage in those days! This meant he created over 1000 different denarius reverse types. We offer you these silver Denari with the head of Septimius Severus on the obverse and various reverses from the Roman Emperor who died in York. Offered here in Fine grading.

Septimius Severus was Roman Emperor from AD 193-211. In AD 208 he travelled to Britain to strengthen Hadrian’s Wall and went on to invade Scotland that same year but his plans were cut short when he became ill and died in York in AD 211. We have a few silver denarius in Very Fine Condition minted during his reign. There are different types but all have his portrait on the obverse, and usually a standing or seated figure on the reverse. PHOTOGRAPH IS REPRESENTATIVE OF COIN SUPPLIED.

Septimius Severus. A.D. 193-211., Rome - A.D. 209. AR Denarius. Laureate head right / 'P M TR P XVII COS III P P' Salus enthroned left feeding snake from patera. Good Very Fine.

Born around A.D.208 in Phoenicia, Severus Alexander was the cousin of the unpredictable Emperor Elagabalus. He was adopted as heir in A.D. 221 at the age of thirteen and seamlessly took over in A.D. 222. The new emperor was young and weak, his mother, Julia Mamaea, and his grandmother, Julia Maesa, ruled the empire early on. Later, Severus Alexander assumed more power and was a reasonably successful ruler. He was popular with the people as he helped with debts and had many building projects. He also fought a difficult and partially successful campaign against the Persians from A.D. 231-234. But while campaigning against the German tribes on the Rhine in A.D. 235 his mother tried to pay the enemy to leave! The army saw this as dishonourable and chose a new emperor Maximinus, a Thracian. Alexander and his mother were murdered by their own troops in A.D. 235 at their camp near Mainz in Germany. We offer Silver Denarius of Severus Alexander in a Good Very Fine condition with various reverses. Don’t miss out on the last of the Severan Dynasty. Please Note: PHOTOGRAPHY IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COIN SUPPLIED.

Severus Alexander. A.D. 222-235., Rome - A.D. 228. AR Denarius. Laur. bust R. / 'P M TR P VI COS II P P' Mars adv. R. hdg. trophy & spear. Flan chip, Lustrous Good Extremely Fine & Scarce thus.

Valerian was from a traditional Roman senatorial family and had a long, distinguished career. In A.D. 253, at 58, he was declared emperor and his son, Gallienus, was made joint ruler. Valerian left Gallienus in the West and took command in the East. He campaigned against the Persians and restored order but, in A.D. 260 he and his army were captured alive by the Persian king, Shapur. Legends talk of Shapur using Valerian as a footstool, a mounting step and feeding him molten gold; then flaying him and placing the skin on display. But, in all stone carvings on the necropolis of Naghshe-Rostamhat, Valerian is showing holding hands with Shapur in submission as a living prisoner. Also, Band-e Kaisar (Caesar’s Dam) near modern Shushtar, Iran was built around the time of Valerian with Roman techniques, alien to anything around. I suspect he and his captured army was put to work! We may never know sadly, a mystery lost to time. What you can have though is a coin from his reign, before he was captured! We have a little group of his billon silver Antoninianus in Very Fine condition. Enjoy your coin of the ensnared emperor.