Favorite roman emperor??

The Five "good emperors" are my faves, and most favored amongst those would be Marcus Aurelius, though he screwed up by appointing Commodus to succeed him.



Alexandria AE drachm as Caesar under Antoninus Pius.

 

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I do not really have a favorite Roman emperor, however if there is an emperor whose coins I do really like it would have to be this guy.
Trajan Ae sestertius 115-116 AD Obv, Bust right laureate and draped. Rv Fortuna seated left RIC 652 var Woytek 542v2 This coin referenced. 27.71 grms 34 mm Photo by W. Hansen This is my first sestertius of Trajan When I bought this coin it was unpublished and was later cited in Woytek. Many years ago I showed a group of ancient coins to a non collector. He looked at the Trajan and said "This looks like real money" and he does have a point. His coins especially the sestertii are so remarkably executed. They have broad flans which give the celator a nice large canvass to display his skills. There is a brilliant interplay between the portrait, lettering and space that brings out the full majesty of the composition.

 

My favorite emperor is which ever one showed up in the mail most recently. My fickleness is getting worse the older I get - I am the opposite of a specialist - an accumulator? A randomist? The Antonine emperors and empresses are probably my most consistent "interest" because not only are they attractive, they are abundant and therefore affordable.

Here's a recent Antoninus Pius sestertius I already had but still went gaga over because I like "pocket piece" quality coins that I can handle with impunity. I also like the random aspects of damage - for this one, the obverse pitting makes it looks as if Pius is emerging from a foaming hot tub. Or something like that. That's Ops on the reverse - a somewhat scarce deity:




But then something else shows up and turns my head. Here are a couple of recent ones - Valerian and Geta. Both of them thrilled me and they became my "favorites"...until the next delivery.





I consider LRBs to be my least favorite in general, but they keep turning up on the cheap in lots and I find myself smitten. Here's Licnius and Constantine with nice sand patinas. Hubba hubba:



Man, am I fickle. No Imperial loyalty whatsoever.

 

I think my favorites -- historically, personally, and numismatically -- are the Five Good Emperors, minus Nerva, plus Vespasian. Plus Philip I and Probus for all the interesting coins.


















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Me and Marcus, Rome 2008.

 

It's a tie between two if I would pick my favorite.
First would be Vespasian, just a very interesting person IMO.


AR denarius, 18mm, 3.1g, 75AD, Rome
Obv: IMP CEASAR VESPASIANVS AVG
Laurel head right
Rev: PON MAX TR P COS VI
Pax seated left holding olive branch,left hand at side
Ref: RIC 90

The next would be trajan the definition of virtues



AR denarius, 18mm, 3.0g, 99AD, 2nd issue, Rome
Obv: IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG GERM
Laurel head right
Rev: PONT MAX TR POT COS II
Justitia seated left, holding scepter, on chair with crossed cornucopia as arms; fold of drapery over lap.
Ref: RIC 11, UCR 24

 

The best Roman emperor is Heraclius.

 

I understand Vespasian being added but wonder why you delete Nerva. I consider him one of the most important rulers for 'inventing' the concept of appointing a worthwhile successor. He has some very interesting types but they are not the most common. If you do not have them, it is because you are cheap and poor like me.
https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=334557
Best I have is a dupondius:


Of course my favorite emperor is Septimius Severus who could be faulted for not killing his entire family. Geta and Severus Alexander were not so bad but I'd sacrifice them to be spared Caracalla and Elagabalus. Had he no family, I wonder who he would have named to succeed him. My guess would be Maximinus but it could have been Pertinax the younger among a thousand others. I prefer him not as a role model but for having several mints I enjoy and a number of types/styles.

 

I agree with you about Nerva. Too bad Marcus Aurelius didn't follow that policy. I left Nerva out simply because I have only one coin of his, that isn't particularly interesting. His nose isn't even remarkably huge, as Nerva noses go! I did consider mentioning Septimius Severus, for whom I have lots of coins I like, but I had to stop somewhere!

 

I would nominate Augustus. He ended up as Rome's first Emperor, ruling from 27BC to 14AD. He defeated Mark Anthony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31BC. Before his rift with MA he won first vs Brutus and allies/ then Pompey and his sons. His only blemish was the Roman defeat in 9AD by the German Army of Arminius at the Teutonburger Wald.

 

My favourite emperor is Quintillus, who ruled only for a few weeks in AD 270. Quintillus didn't really do very much, but the sources tell us that he was a good guy (who got a bad deal).
More importantly of course I like his coins. Despite the poor metal (this was the height of the hyperinflation of the 3rd century), the engravings are first class. I have 30 high grade Antoniniani of Quintillus in my collection to prove my preference for this particular emperor. Here is an example:




Quintillus (270)
IMP CM AVR CL QVINTILLVS AVG // PROVIDENT AVG
S in field
Weight: 4.05g (exceptionally heavy for the issue)

 

I find it interesting that Quintillus is a favorite. His claim to the throne was that he was the brother of Claudius II. That seemed to be accepted by few people which explains his short reign. His coins, even the nicest ones rarely are full legend suggesting to me that the mess at the mint 'corrected' by Aurelian was in full force during his short reign. For many years I had a particularly typical Quintillus which I sold when I found two a bit better. I do agree that the portrait work was above average for the period. I suspect he may have shown particular interest in how he was portrayed. The Tejas coin is really quite nice with good surfaces even.

 

Narrowing to one Emperor, I would have to say Nerva because this coin is one of my most recent acquisitions and my one and only Nerva.

 

I fully agree, Quintillus was a tragic figure, but Eutropius said that he was a modest and capable man.

The monetary system was clearly in disarray at the time, but it had been long before his short reign, which lasted something between a couple of weeks to half a year.

In any case, Quintillus' portrait is so much nicer than those of Claudius II or Aurelian with his distinctive features like the curly hair. To further convince the doubters:

 

I remember NFA auctions had a FDC Aureus from him/ too die for!

 

My favorite emperor tends to vary with where my collection focus is. Right now I’m into the 4th and 5th century, and the favorite candidates are few and far between, but Constantius II strikes me as a competent, albeit cruel, no-nonsense ruler who dealt with a lot during a long reign (24 years on the throne is an achievement).
Here’s my nicest coin of Constantius II, bought just a month ago:



Constantius II, 337-361 AV Solidus Nicomedia circa 351-355,

Obverse: Helmeted and cuirassed bust facing three-quarters right, holding spear and shield.

Reverse: Roma and Constantinopolis seated on throne holding between them shield.

Reference: C 112. RIC 74. Depeyrot 5/2.

Size: 20.4mm., 4.26g

 

My favorite emperor is Trajan. Competitors for the title would be Augustus if his coins were less expensive and Gallienus, who has both the zoo and legionary series. Recently I have been interested in the First Tetrarchy, so that adds Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius, and Galerius to the long list of very interesting emperors, but no one of them alone is as interesting as Trajan.

Many of Trajan's coins have a historical reference. I wrote a page on them, at first emphasizing Dacian wars and then his other historical types:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Trajan/

Here is one that is not on my site because it does not have a clear historical reference.



Sestertius. 33 mm. Lovely green patina, flacking in spots.
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V PP
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI
Ceres draped, holding grain-ears above modius, and long scepter.
RIC 480 "103-109"
BMC 771 "104-111"
Hill 342 "107"
ex Waddell list 60, summer 1993, lot 98

 

I have long been an adept of Antoninnus Pius and can count myself to have an extensive silver and bronze collection of coins issued under his reign. I admire him for entering on the job when he was already 52 years old and cooperating peacefully and wisely with Marcus Aurelius for 22 years until his death. His coins, however seldom show him as an old man. This is a very rare bust type from his 10th anniversary (RIC 853 var; probably unique)

 

Like others here I cannot narrow it down to just one favorite. My list:

Augustus
Claudius
Vespasian
Titus
Nerva
Trajan
Septimius Severus
Diocletian
Constantius (Chlorus)