The Five Good Emperors

I’m not sure if this is how this is done here, but I have been wanting to share these with someone. I bought a Marcus Aurelius denarius sometime ago, and that ballooned into building up a set of the Nerva-Antonines/Five Good Emperors (more attainable than the 12 Caesars). I just finished out the five with Nerva a week or so ago, and eventually I’ll probably add in co-emperors and wives. The affordability makes expanding the set quite attractive. But maybe I’ll take a break from denarii for a little first.

I didn’t try to coordinate reverses, and the quality of the coins varies somewhat (the Aurelius isn’t as strong a strike as I’d like, but I didn’t know that much about denarii at the time), but overall I’m pretty proud of them. I particularly like the Trajan Arabia issue, and I am a big fan of the ragged look of the Pius.

Nerva
Obverse: IMP NERVA CAES AVG PM TR P COS III PP, laureate bust right
Reverse: LIBERTAS PVBLICA, Libertas standing left, holding pileus and scepter
17mm, 3.0g, struck at Rome in 97
RIC 19


Trajan
Obverse: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TR P, laureate, draped bust right
Reverse: COS V PPV SPQR OPTIMO PRINC, Arabia standing left, holding a branch and bundle of cinnamon (?), camel at left
17mm, struck at Rome in 103-111
RIC 68


Hadrian
Obverse: HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP, laureate bust right
Reverse: FELICITAS AVG, Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and cornucopia
17mm, 2.81g, struck at Rome in 134-138
RIC 233


Antoninus Pius
Obverse: ASNTONINVS AVG PIVS PP IMP II, laureate bust right
Reverse: TR POT XIX COS III, Fortuna standing right, holding rudder and cornucopia
18mm, 3.60g, struck at Rome in 155-156
RSC 987, no RIC


Marcus Aurelius
Obverse: M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG, laureate bust right
Reverse: COS III PP, Mars standing right, holding inverted spear in right hand, left resting on shield
16mm, 2.73g, struck at Rome in 176-180
RIC 417

 

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That's a nice sub set. It wouldn't be too hard to put together a similar set in bronze. That would be a great addition.

 

That's a cool group of denarii @SeptimusT ! I'm still need Nerva to get all the fab 5! I don't have much from these guys in AR, here's my "peeing victory" reverse Hadrian.

 

Excellent post & coins - congratulations on a nice set. This is the only place I get to show off my coins as it seems this family are the only ones with any interest at all in my collection.

I'm a couple shy from a set of the five. At present I have:


Trajan (98-117)
Æ Orichalcum As, 24mm, 7.73g; Rome, minted 114-117 AD, possibly for use in the eastern part of the empire.
Obv: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GERM - Radiate, draped bust right, seen from behind.
Rev: DAC PARTHICO P M TR POT XX COS VI P P - Legend surrounding oak-wreath terminating in large jewel enclosing S • C.
Ref.: RIC II 647
Ex. Lustig Collection



Hadrian (117-138)
AR Denarius, 19mm, 3.33g; Rome mint, 119-122 A.D.
Obv.: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG - laureate bust right, drapery on left shoulder.
Rev.: P M TR P COS III - Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopia.
Ref.: RIC II 80


Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD)
Æ Sestertius, 31.91mm, 25.5g; Rome Mint, 151/2 AD.
Obv: ANTONINVS AVG - PIVS P P TR P XV [or XVI] - Laureate head of Antoninus Pius right.
Rev: SA-LVS - A-VG COS IIII/ S|C - Salus standing left feeding serpent arising from altar, and leaning on staff.
Ref.: RIC III 886 [or 906]

 

Neat set! I particularly like the Trajan with the less common cuirassed bust.

Nerva


Trajan


Hadrian


Antoninus Pius


Marcus Aurelius

 

Wow, those are all some great coins. I’m jealous. And @chrsmat71, regardless of what that coin actually depicts, that’s a hilarious description.

I must say that @dadams has some very beautiful bronzes. The Hadrian is an exceptionally nice portraits. And I’m always a big fan of Salus, so the Pius is great as well.

@zumbly those coins all seem nicely toned, especially the Hadrian.

 

great set, it is not hard to find a collecting interest, the tuff part is staying focused -

I collect Roman Republican coins, but could not pass on the coin above.

 

Great coins @SeptimusT and this is definitely the right place to show them.

I have 3 of the 5 good emperors at the moment. Not really a focus of mine I just liked these coins. I will eventually get around to acquiring all 5 plus Lucius Verus and Commodus at some point. For now here are mine that I think you've all probably seen already.

 

..no problem staying focused..i just change my mind..or.. keep buying the same coins for an extended period...

 

that's a nice set o coins SeptimusT and peeps post too. i haven't got any of Antonius Pius yet and i think i have a provincial Marcus Aurelius but not sure.. the only "set" i have completed and meant to so far are that of Septimius Severus and family, Flavian emperors and Alexander and his generals..that i can think of anyway.. here's my most recent of your 5.. a Hadrian dupondius i got a couple weeks ago..this is the way it came to me and i plan on doing some conserving to it..and welcome to CT ancients

 

Interesting theme. I don't have them all in denarii, but one of my focusses being the Trajan Decius Divi series, I do have them in antoniniani, struck 150 years later though ....











Q

 

I hope everyone realizes how special Q's set of Commemotatives are. That is not an easy one.

 

After completing a 'good' set, I hope everyone will be driven to add the rest of the dynasty that was not known for being good but every bit as important to history. As part of the 'deal' for becoming emperor. Antoninus Pius had to adopt two boys. Both succeeded him as co-Augusti (a first for Rome). I believe it is wrong to omit Lucius Verus who served as equal partner to Marcus Aurelius until his death in 169. He was not a bad emperor by any means if not as extra specially good as Marcus.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Verus


The 'big' lesson few seem to have taken from the 'good' emperors is how well the idea of adopting a worthwhile successor worked as opposed to leaving the Empire to a natural son simply not up to the task. If Marcus had really had the best interest of Rome at heart, he could have spared us Commodus and adopted a reasonable replacement for himself. To illustrate this we need a coin of his natural and 'ungood' son Commodus.


Finally, Marcus' error was corrected to some degree when civil war victor Septimius Severus announced on coins that he was son of the divine Marcus. This reverse adoption could have spared us the need for the ugliness of 193 and several scarce rulers that many have trouble affording as well. The Septimius sestertius below shows the reverse legend DIVI M PII F followed by PM TRP III COS II PP. To illustrate the reverse adoption, you need to seek out a coin at least as clear as this one on the left side. That is not as easy as you might wish. It turned out that Marcus did the right thing for Rome after all - he just did it after his death.


If it seems to you that I am trying to push you out of the feeling you have a complete set and into buying even more addictive coins, you are most certainly correct.

 

Showoff!

Just jokes, Q, I'm totally jealous of that set .

 

that's the thing about coin collecting, you may start out with a focused "goal", but end up learning much and expanding to include much more.

 

Then there's the emperor who might have been, Hadrian's intended successor, Aelius, the father of Lucius Verus ...


Aelius, Caesar AD 136-138
Roman orichalcum sestertius
Rome, AD 137 Obv: L AELIVS CAESAR, bare head, right
Rev: TR POT COS II, Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising skirt
Refs: RIC 1055; BMCRE 1914; Cohen 56; RCV 3986; UCR 825.

 

Terrific thread!! I really enjoyed all the coin posts and interesting comments!!

 

Q

 

I love this approach. Sometimes the sheer breadth of Roman coinage is both inspiring and daunting. For novice collectors, it’s hard to even know how to begin. Taking this targeted approach offers a good way to acquire some quality, relatively affordable coins that offer focus and narrative. Well done.