What is a 12 Caesars set?

For the record, in the last twelve calendar months, I have purchased four coins of Septimius Severus - one sestertius and three denarii - all fom 193 AD. My status as a fearsome competitor in the Septimius market is a bit overrated.

As a specialist in anything, there may come a time where you either have things you see or don't see things you can afford. I stopped being a hardcore specialist over 20 years ago and became more of a general collector. In the old days, when a dealer at a show asked me what I was seeking, I could say, "Septimius Severus"! Today the correct answer is, "Coins I like at prices I can afford." Dealers don't like that answer. Several can not accept that I like one coin they have but not another that seems the same to them. Not all coins of Septimius Severus are equal and I have never considered owning them all. More than once I have had a dealer of long standing (I still know half a dozen that I met over 30 years ago) show me a coin that he thinks I will like and he has been right. It seems I have a recognizable specialty after all but learning it takes a long time.

 

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I accept, Bing, that buying the 12 Caesars can set you back a pretty penny. But, never mind, it's cheaper by the dozen !!!

 

You could go for Twelve significant Emperors but then you'd have to argue over which ones belong and which do not. Maybe:
Augustus
Nero
Vespasian
Trajan
Marcus Aurelius
Septimius Severus
Philip I
Aurelian
Diocletian
Constantine I
Constantius II
Theodosius I

I said 'maybe'. Suetonius has one really major point that made his book significant. It survived. Had all copies been lost to time as were so many other works, who would collect those twelve? If there were good biographies of all the emperors, which would be the top twelve? Then we have to ask why twelve as opposed to ten or twenty. Collect what you want. If you have read Suetonius and worship his writing, you might want them before the top guys. Only five, you say???
Augustus
Vespasian
Trajan
Diocletian
Constantine I
Four? Six? You choose! Few will agree with my choices.

 

I like your list, Doug. The only one that makes me wonder is Philip. I might suggest Hadrian or maybe Valentinian I as a replacement. But never mind the replacements, what I'm really interested in is why you think Philip might deserve a slot.

 

I agree! Not to say collecting "the twelve caesars" isn't fun for many people, but what makes this set a set is the book that survived.

I like the idea of a "Twelve Important Emperors" or "Twelve Best Emperors" or "Twelve Worst Emperors" or "Twelve Craziest Emperors"...

Or Ryro's "The Twelve Sneezers" (biggest noses)

I guess what I like is any purposeful set with some thought behind it. There are no rules. Make your own rules.

(or pretty much any ancient coin or collection of ancient coins )

 

Yeah, and where is Gordian III on that list?

 

Here's my list of 20 historical must haves (from my 200 coin checklist post). Of course it's a bit arbitrary when to stop in the east:

Augustus
Nero
Vespasian
Trajan
Hadrian
Marcus Aurelius
Septimius Severus
1 crisis emperor from 235-250
1 Valerian or Gallienus
1 Gallic emperor
Aurelian
Diocletian
Licinius I
Constantine I
Constantius II
Valentinian I
Theodosius I
Honorius
Theodosius II
Leo I

P.S. for @Sallent: Gordian is one of the benchwarmers (often playing position 8), sitting nice and comfy next to Sev Alex.

 

Plus it was sensational and salacious. This may not be unconnected with its survival.

 

This is a topic with which I have some amount of familiarity and experience, although maybe not an equal amount of expertise. Inasmuch as my lack of expertise hasn't prevented me from posting to other threads on this site, it's not preventing me from responding to this post. Maybe my experiences in this area will be sufficient.

First, you might want to visit one or more of the threads that I initiated almost exactly one year ago presenting and discussing my collection. Start with the initial thread that includes my reasons and goals for focusing on the 12 Caesars:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/12-caesars-julius-caesar.301506/

There is one thread for each of the 12 Caesars, in case you're an insomniac.

Now for some general thoughts and information about my quest.

1. Even if money is not an object, you'll need to set a budget for each specific coin that you target. Getting into a destructive bidding war over one coin is counterproductive to your overall collecting objectives.

2. Buy a subscription to ACSEARCH.com and start researching all the coins that are potential candidates, to get an idea of availability, condition, recent prices, etc. This will also help you formulate your personal stylistic likes and dislikes.

3. Don't ever purchase a coin that you, or a very knowledgeable and trusted expert, hasn't seen in person. If you can't attend every auction yourself, hire an expert dealer to be your agent, and pay him/her whatever reasonable fee they charge for this service.

4. Be patient. I completed my 12 Caesars aurei and denarii collection in a little over two years, but the bronzes have taken an additional eight years. If I had been foresightful enough to realize how attractive the bronzes are, I would have pursued them at the same time I was going after the aurei and denarii. I missed some bargains by coming late to the bronze party.

5. Be opportunistic. Personally, I think it highly unlikely that you'll be able to acquire them in a particular order (e.g., chronological, or aurei first then denarii, etc.) and if you insist on doing so, you'll end up kicking yourself for missing an earlier coin that you later desire.

Feel free to ask other questions about any topic that interests you.

 

I could say I was allowing extra credit for snuffing that roach but that would be unkind to our friend Sallent. You are right. Philip was my 12th and does not deserve a spot but I have little use for Hadrian or Valentinian compared to Trajan or Theodosius either. I considered Caracalla for inventing fratricide, Roman style. In all honesty, the twelfth most significant ruler may well have been Julia Maesa but others would say I should have allowed Salonina that slot. There is something to say for Postumus breaking away for so long or a German to be named later for pulling more puppet strings than anyone else. Tooooo many choices!

 

Maybe that means there are only 11 Emperors of Great Significance. Or we could drop Nero and make it an even ten.

 

Kind of like someone's Pink Floyd album-themed collection?

 

Like @dougsmit said, you’ll find that you hit this invisible wall many times where once you collect all of the nice, relatively common and affordable coins, now you find that you see the same stuff all of the time. That why many of us ancient collectors have side collection after side collection. When we bottom out in one area, we go find something else to keep us hunting. That’s why late Roman bronze amuses me. Try finding all of the mintmarks of a particular emperor or mint. See you in twenty years.

 

Well, when that happens to me with Romans it will probably be my cue to go hunting Celtic coinage or some such thing.