The Five Good Emperors

Eduard · Nov 24, 2017

That is a nice set in silver SeptimusT. Congratulations!
The Hadrian bust is particularly nice.

I don't have a full set of the 12 Caesars either, but here are the five good emperors as sestertii - which is also my favorite denomination:

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SeptimusT · Nov 24, 2017

@Eduard has some beautiful sestertii. But goodness, @Cucumbor, those are amazing. What a beautiful and rare series.

Alegandron · Nov 24, 2017

COMBO PACK:

RI Nerva AE Dupondius 96-98 CE LIBERTAS PVBLICA -pileus TIF

RI Trajan CE 98-117 AR drachm Struck CE 114-116 Arabia Petraea Bostra - Camel SNG ANS 1158

RI Hadrian, AD 117-138 Æ Limes Denarius 18mm 3.5mm after AD 125 Genius stndg sacrificing altar cornucopia RIC II 173

RI Antoninus Pius 138-161 BCE BI Tet Alexandria Egypt Dikaiosyne Scale

RI Aurelius Marcus 161-180 AE Sestertius S-C

Severus Alexander · Nov 24, 2017

I love the eyebrow on your Hadrian!

Parthicus · Nov 24, 2017

And let's not forget the ladies!
Sabina, wife of Hadrian:

Faustina the Elder, wife of Antoninus Pius:

And Faustina Junior, wife of Marcus Aurelius:

PMONNEY · Nov 24, 2017

SeptimusT said: ↑

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
View attachment 705253

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
View attachment 705256

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
View attachment 705257

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
View attachment 705258

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
View attachment 705259
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Belles pièces, il ne manque que Aelius...

randygeki · Nov 24, 2017

Awesome coins all.
Yeah @Cucumbor has a sweet set!

7Calbrey · Nov 24, 2017

I hesitated before posting this coin which is the only Nerva I have in my collection. It was struck in Antioch and weighs 11.64 g. SC on reverse. My neighbor found it in his garden, using a metal detector 5 years ago.

Deacon Ray · Nov 24, 2017

SeptimusT said: ↑

...Five Good Emperors...
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Beautiful collection! As often as I recommend the Five Good Roman Emperors as a great and attainable goal for new ancient coin collectors—I have not accomplished it yet. I keep getting distracted by those dusty little Judaean coins

Roman Collector · Nov 26, 2017

SeptimusT · Nov 26, 2017

7Calbrey said: ↑

I hesitated before posting this coin which is the only Nerva I have in my collection. It was struck in Antioch and weighs 11.64 g. SC on reverse. My neighbor found it in his garden, using a metal detector 5 years ago.
View attachment 705536 View attachment 705537
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The fact that someone you know found it makes it special, regardless of the condition it is in. Heck, to me, just knowing where something came from makes it special.

TJC · Nov 26, 2017

Real nice 5 good emperors set SeptimusT!! BTW, I like your Antonius Pius with the sprue.

I do not have all 5 yet but it is a set that would like to someday complete. As Doug mentioned the playboy Lucius often gets left out. Here is a denarius of his:

ominus1 · Dec 27, 2018

alde said: ↑

It wouldn't be too hard to put together a similar set in bronze. That would be a great addition.
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i agree Albert..i just purchased today a bronze Nerva to complete my 1st bronze 5.. (i'll post them when it gets here)

Al Kowsky · Dec 27, 2018

Eduard said: ↑

That is a nice set in silver SeptimusT. Congratulations!
The Hadrian bust is particularly nice.

I don't have a full set of the 12 Caesars either, but here are the five good emperors as sestertii - which is also my favorite denomination:

View attachment 705386 View attachment 705387 View attachment 705388 View attachment 705389 View attachment 705390 View attachment 705391 View attachment 705392 View attachment 705393 View attachment 705394 View attachment 705395
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Wow! Handsome group of bronzes with great photos.

ominus1 · Dec 27, 2018

dougsmit said: ↑

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
View attachment 705322

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.
View attachment 705323

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.
View attachment 705324

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.
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yeah, i feel there's 7 coins for 'the good 5' also

Al Kowsky · Dec 27, 2018

Severus Alexander said: ↑

I love the eyebrow on your Hadrian!

View attachment 705463
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Excellent portrait group! I would have guessed them all by portrait except the small Trajan quadrans. The Antoninus Pius denarius is a masterpiece.

Al Kowsky · Dec 27, 2018

Cucumbor said: ↑

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
Click to expand...

The best group of these commemoratives I've seen, & all the portraits exceptional.

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The Five Good Emperors

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