10 Most Important Historical Figures on Coins

We recently had a post about the 10 most important ancient coins ever minted. An interesting tangent might be: who were the 10 most important people to have their portraits on ancient coins during their lifetimes?

Okay, obviously, I mean ancient to us. If it's a lifetime portrait, then it wasn't an ancient coin at the time. (Possible exception: Methuselah?)

Anyway, the first thought that came to my mind was Alexander the Great, but then I realized that his coins depicted Herakles. Some have argued that Herakles was deliberately modeled after Alexander's portrait, but that idea is controversial.

So my guess is that Julius Caesar would be #1 if we disallow Alexander III:

Julius Caesar
First Triumvir, 60-53 B.C.
Dictator for Life, 44 B.C.
Silver Denarius
Rome mint, 44 B.C.
Obv: DICT PERPETVO - CAESAR - Veiled head of Julius Caesar
Rev: P SEPVLLIVS MACER - Venus holding Victory and scepter; shield at base
RSC 39; S362; RRC 480/13
18 x 20mm, 3.2g.

After Caesar, I suspect there will be a lot of disagreement. In terms of impact on western history, I'd vote for Constantine for #2:

Constantine I ("the Great")
Caesar, A.D. 306-307/9
Augustus A.D. 307/9-337
(Bronze) AE3
Constantinople mint, A.D. 327-328
Obv: CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG
Rev: LIBERT-A-S PVBLICA - Victory on galley, holding wreath in both hands
CONS in exergue; E in left field
RIC 25
19mm, 2.6g

Where do we go from here? Which non-Roman, non-western figures belong on the list?

Who would like to continue this thread by voting for #3 and showing her/his coin? Remember, these have to be lifetime portraits. Let's see who else shows up in this list.

 

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I can't accept Caesar as important for anything other than tormenting first year Latin students with his self promotion. He tried to end the Roman Republic but just about the time it looked like he would, checks and balances reduced his status and left the destruction of the Republic to his adopted heir Octavian. My nominee:
Caesar Augustus.

 

...Um, the structural problem with your premise, @gsimonel, is that Western history and historiography are no less structurally Eurocentric than the prevailing tradition in numismatics has been, until relatively recently. ...I'm at a loss, not only about who would have had the greatest net impact in any given context, but how you would go about determining that from the available information.

 

I'd toss the Scipio Africanus hat into the ring as one of the 10...


Punic Iberia
Roman Occupation, 209-206 BC
AE Unit, Carthago Nova mint
Obverse: Bare male head left.
Reverse: Horse standing right; palm tree in background.
References: CNH Class XI, 282; SNG BM Spain 127-128; ACIP 609
Size: 22.8mm, 10.49g
Ex: Forvm Ancient Coins (8/2019)
Rare.


Iberia, 2nd Punic War
Roman Occupation (?), 209-206 BC
AE 1/5 Unit, Carthago Nova mint
Obverse: Bare male head left.
Reverse: Head of horse right.
References: MHC 283; Robinson, Punic, Series 8, d (Gades); ACIP 610; SNG BM Spain 129; CNH p. 72, 70
Size: 15mm, 2.2g
Notes: Possibly bust of Scipio Africanus.
Rare.

If someone had a (suspected) Hannibal silver coin, I'd say that'd be a good non-Roman example.

 

Not sure if we will really capture all the significant influencers of history with contemporary portraits. Probly a lot of narcissistic Roman Emperors. Boudicca? Alexander III? Genghis Khan? Philip II of Makedon?

How about Shapur who completely destabilized the Roman Empire and threw it into its decline in the West.

SHAPUR I



Sasanian Shapur I 240-272 CE AE Tetradrachm 10.78g 27mm Ctesiphon mint phase 1a mural crown korymbos - fire altar type 2 SNS IIa1-1a



I always imagined that Zeus’ likeness was patterned after Philip II when he minted these during his lifetime...


Makedon Philip II Tet Pella LIFETIME 353-349 Zeus Horse star spearhd Le Rider 102

 

BIG thumbs up!

 

Though, I enjoy this idea. Connie just doesn't line up in my top twenty.
Instead I might submit, the more obvious starter (far above Caesar salad or the uncle, wife AAAND son killer conmanstine).
Alexander the great (yeah, Gandy I saw your post and doubled down on the ATG):

 

How about the first living Roman Woman on a coin?


RImp
Marc Antony 43 BCE
AR Quinarius
13mm 1.67g
Lugdunum
Winged bust Victory
-probly Fulvia Lion DVNI LVGV
Cr 489-5 Syd 1160

 

Liking all the hardware on the reverse.

 

Nice!

This lady might not actually make the top 10 but she should definitely be considered, as she might have been the first/only female ruler of the empire for a lil while after her hubby's death...

Severina, Wife of Aurelian (270-275 AD)
BL Tetradrachm, Egypt, Alexandria
Struck Year 7, 275 AD (Possibly as sole ruler)
Obverse: OVΛΠ CEYHΡINA CEB, draped bust of Severina right, wearing stephane.
Reverse: Athena seated left on shield, holding Nike and sceptre. ETOVC – Z (date) across fields (RY 7 = 275 AD).
References: Emmett 3963, Dattari 5498, Geissen 3106

 

The Republic Murderer Twins


IVLIVS CAESAR

Roman Imperatorial Era
Julius Caesar Lifetime
P Sepullius Macer AR Den
1st 2 weeks-Mar 44 BCE 4.03g.
CAESAR – DICT PERPETVO Veiled -
Venus Victory sceptre star
Syd 1074a Sear Imperators 107e Cr 480-14


AUGUSTUS


RI Augustus AR Denarius struck 2 BC-14 AD Caius and Lucius Caesars stdg shield spear S 1578

 

But without Caesar, we wouldn't have July! A pretty important month, don't you think?

 

Nor August for that matter. And as has been suggested christ.

 

I don't know what number, but Justinian probably makes the list for the Corpus Juris Civilis




Gold medallion of Justinian I, Constantinople, AD 527-565 (electrotype)

 

...No, Really, one summary problem with the question of who impacted history in ancient times, beyond the limits of traditional Western historiography, is reducible to the numbers of people involved.
...For one instance, you could fast forward to the 13th c. ACE, when Sunjata founded the Malian empire, covering most of the western Niger basin. Where urban centers, with vibrant mecantile economies (minus, expletive of choice, coins ...think, Vikings), had been in place for a millennium.
Vaguely along those lines, here's a repost.

Aksum, Kaleb, c. earlier 6th century. AV unit (still within shouting distance of the typical weight of late Roman tremisses). Legends mostly in late Koine Greek (some letters retrograde), but with elements of Ge'ez, notably the three-letter 'monogram' of his name (obverse, top). (Munro-Hay, pp.198-9, Type 95; cf. Types 91-6.)
The Aksumites perpetuated the maritime trade links between the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, and the Arabian peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, and possibly (again with reference to the Vikings) China, following the collapse of the earlier, no less evident Greco-Roman routes.
...In terms of net global impact, especially where sheer numbers of people are concerned, the jury's out. ...Except, here is an example of what we Should know, and just Don't.

 

Well, mercifully, Christ didn't issue any coins!!! ...Along the lines of, 'My kingdom is not [emphasis mine --at least] of this world.' :<}

 

This guy had some historical significance. I mean, we’re still all celebrating his birthday, right?

 

John Lackland, for signing the Magna Carta.



Nero, for personifying the failure of a system with a single ruler, still going strong almost 2000 years («Nero fiddled while Rome burned»)

My final suggestion is a Washington quarter. I don’t have pics of mine, unfortunately.

 

The OP rules said lifetime images.

 

Ah, ok. My bad.