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., 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

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...

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.

Macrinus, AD 217-218, AR Denarius, Rome AD 217. Obverse. Laureate and cuirassed bust of Macrinus facing to right. Reverse: SECVRITAS TEMPORVM, Securitas standing facing to left holding a sceptre and leaning on a column [Sear 7365] Extremely Fine and Scarce.

Marcus Aurelius is one of the most famous Roman Emperors, almost every day someone comes to the shop asking to buy his coins. His fame goes beyond ancient coins, he was also a brilliant Stoic philosopher, called the Philosopher-King in his lifetime he is now renowned the world over for his ‘Meditations’. As emperor he was just and able, but spent 16 of his nearly 20 years fighting wars & invasions, he died exhausted at 58 in A.D. 180. Cassius Dio later wrote: ‘History now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust, as affairs did for the Romans of that day.’ While Marcus Aurelius’ coins were made in reasonable numbers his fame among collectors and others has meant his coins are Scarce; when they are available, people buy and keep them. We have a small group of his silver Denarius grading Fine with various reverses. Everyone has heard of Marcus Aurelius, you can own a piece of his legacy!

Philip I (A.D. 244-249) was nicknamed ‘The Arab’ by the Romans because he was born in the province of ‘Arabia Petraea’, near Damascus. He came to the throne by plotting against, and then murdering his predecessor, Gordian III. Famously, his reign saw the Thousand year anniversary of the founding of Rome, which he celebrated with lavish ceremonies and spectacular games and hunting events. Sadly the good times did not last and amongst wider unrest across the empire, he was killed in battle with his successor, the ‘usurper’ Trajan Decius. We offer to you Silver Antoninianii of Philip I with various reverses such as gods and goddesses. These attractive coins grade Very Fine and are great in any collection but make especially good presents for anyone named Philip! Join this coin on its journey through time, the latest person to hold it and think of the past.

Philip I. A.D. 244-249. Rome - A.D. 248. AR Antoninianus. Radiate bust right / 'SAECVLVM NOVVM' Hexastyle temple with seated Roma statue. Toned, About Extremely Fine & Scarce. Hadrian's temple of Roma in Rome.

Postumus was the governor of Germany in A.D. 260 when the emperor Valerian was captured in the East. With the Roman world in crisis barbarian raiding parties were crossing the borders but his defeat of one group, the Juthungians, led to him being proclaimed emperor by his troops. He then managed to push the others out of the western provinces and re-established the old Rhine frontier, making him very popular! Gallienus failed multiple times to defeat him so the rebel Postumus was left in control of Britain, Gaul, Iberia and parts of Germany, forming what was called the ‘Gallic Empire’. In A.D. 269, Laelianus, the governor of Germany, rebelled against him and was defeated at the siege of Mainz. Sadly, Postumus was then murdered by his own troops for refusing to allow them to plunder the city! Postumus minted coins that had at least twice as much silver in than the coins being made by Gallienus’ central government in Rome. We offer these Billon Silver Antoninianus of Postumus with various reverses in Extremely Fine condition, meaning very limited wear since they were struck. Due to the crisis at the time that striking can be a little weak so first to order will get the best! It has been a while since we have been able to get a group of these, we have priced them to please, but we cannot guarantee the price will not have to go up in the future…

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.

Severina, wife of Aurelian., Rome - A.D. 275. Billon Denarius. Diad. & draped bust R. / 'VENVS FELIX' Venus stg. L hdg. cupid & sceptre. Good Very Fine with minor silvering & Very Scarce. One of the last Denarius.

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.

Trajan has one of the best legacies, ancient or modern, of any Roman emperor! When later emperors were sworn in it was wished they be ‘luckier than Augustus and better than Trajan’. He literally set the bar for what the Romans saw as a good ruler. Today he is one of the ‘Five Good Emperors’. Trajan was born in A.D. 53 in Italica, Spain, his father had been a consul and governor of Syria. Trajan rose quickly and because he was so popular, importantly with the army, he was adopted in A.D. 97 by the reigning emperor Nerva. Following the death of Nerva the next year, Trajan became emperor. His 19-year reign saw three major conflicts which led to the territory of the Roman Empire being increased to its greatest size. Within the Empire Trajan was a great builder, to name a few projects: the Forum Traiani, Trajan’s Market, an amphitheatre for sea battles, and a new harbour at Ostia. He also established a number of Colonies for retired soldiers and in Italy set up a charity to help orphans and poor children called the Alimentia, shown on one of his rare coins. His most famous and lasting monument is perhaps Trajan’s Column which can still be seen in Rome. When he died he was buried beneath it with Hadrian becoming emperor. We are not often able to offer Trajan’s coins in groups, especially his silver Denarius! They are becoming increasingly hard to find, as he is such a popular emperor, but with much searching, we are able to offer them to you here in Good Fine grade with various reverses.