10 Most Important Historical Figures on Coins

Julia Maesa
Augusta, A.D. 218-224/5
Silver Denarius
Antioch mint?
Obv: IVLIA MAESA AVG
Rev: PVDICITA - Pudicita, seated left, raising veil and holding scepter
RIC (Elagabalus) 268
18mm, 2.7g.


Julia Augusta (Livia). Augusta, AD 14-29. Æ Dupondius (27mm, 10.25 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck under Tiberius, AD 22-23.

Anyone have a coin of Cleopatra?

 

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Yes, of course, restricting the list to coins with lifetime portraits is going to skew it toward western Europe, at least for the first 1,200 years or so of numismatic history. There's not much we can do about that, except for never asking the question.

 

His dividing the empire laid the groundwork for the eventual fall of the Western Empire.

"My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other, you will be as this bundle, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves, you will be broken as easily as these sticks."

 

I'm adding Diocletian because of his reforms that preserved the empire for another 1200 years. He was, unlike other recent historical figures, willing to step down when the time had come.

 

@gsimonel, a big, ringing Touchet!!!

 

I apologize if my response sounded like a rebuke. That was not my intention.

I need to remember that what you write often looks much harsher than how it sounds when you say it. I just meant that discussing portraits on ancients is going to immediately exclude Chinese coins, anyone from barter economies, and a host of other important people like Genghis Khan, Mohammed, Joan of Arc, etc.

 

No worries, @gismonel, I got it the first time. ...What I neglected to appreciate was the fact that, from the start, you were very much about recognizing the historiographic limitations we're all stuck with.
...Meanwhile, I can easily identify with your concern. Autism spectrum
(-->Over Here; Hi, Mom), and a somewhat quirky sense of humor, can be a volatile combination.

 

With props to @Herodotus for outtyping you (been there), I had to find that famous quotation of Diocletian from Split. ...To my horror, I don't even have an abridged Gibbon anymore, so it took lifting it from Wiki (citing Aurelius Victor):
At Carnuntum people begged Diocletian to return to the throne, to resolve the conflicts that had arisen through Constantine's rise to power and Maxentius's usurpation.[198] Diocletian's reply: "If you could show the cabbage that I planted with my own hands to your emperor, he definitely wouldn't dare suggest that I replace the peace and happiness of this place with the storms of a never-satisfied greed."

 

I missed @Herodotus post, otherwise I would not have posted about Diocletian. But his words (as you quote) ring true for today...

 

How true! ...Getting out-typed by people is part of the ongoing price of admission here!

 

Friedrich II der "Grosse"
This man was one of histories greatest captains. He went into the "War of the Austrian Succession" where Prussia allied with France/ Spain/ Bavaria vs British Empire/ Holy Roman Empire/ Russian Empire/ Dutch Republic. End result/ Britain ceded Hannover to Prussia/ HRE ceded Silesia. Then WWI or the Seven Year's War (Global Conflict) saw Prussia/ allied with Britain go up VS the Russian/ French/ Holy Roman Empires/ Saxony. Fortunately for Friedrich the Russian Empress died/ leaving Peter III in charge. Peter made peace with Prussia, letting Friedrich destroy the French / Austrian armies/ as a result making, "Prussia" a power on the continent. Eventually, Prussia would help defeat Napoleon at Waterloo/ then win three successive Wars VS Denmark (1864) Austria-Hungarian Empire (1866) France (1870)