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Message:: [QUOTE="Curtisimo, post: 4995537, member: 83845"]I’ve been working on my sub-collection of the Nerva Antonine Dynasty in Imperial Silver for a few years now and I have finally reached an important milestone in that collection; I now have all the male members of the dynasty who held the rank of Caesar or Augustus accounted for.  I am still in the process of acquiring all the female members who had coins struck for them and I will eventually branch out into other denominations but for now I feel pretty good about my progress.  I am also continuing to acquire other examples in silver but these coins shown below are my representative examples for each emperor that I felt carried the most interest for me. [ATTACH=full]1199554[/ATTACH] I tried to select coins that were interesting in some way that goes beyond just a consideration of the grade.  I wanted coins that for one reason or another I thought were more interesting than other coins of the emperor / empress in a similar price bracket or grade. Nerva September AD 96 – January AD 98[ATTACH=full]1199555[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireNerva (AD 96-98)AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck October AD 97Dia.: 17 mmWt.: 3.47 gObv.: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P II COS III PP; Laureate bust rightRev.: SALVS PVBLICA; Salus, seated left, holding grain earsRef.: RIC II 20Ex Naville Numismatic Live Auction 44 (Nov. 2018) Write up: Nerva: <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/nerva-a-rare-common-coin.349350/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/nerva-a-rare-common-coin.349350/">A Rare Common Coin</a> Why I find it interesting: Coins of Nerva are all about the portrait for me.  I found this portrait to very interesting and unique.  I also like how Nerva’s coins can often be dated quite narrowly and that this one can be narrowed down to an individual month! ........................................ Trajan January AD 98 – August AD 117[ATTACH=full]1199556[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireTrajan (AD 98 – 117)AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 107 – 108Dia.: 19.1 mmWt.: 2.94 gObv.: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TR P; Trajan laureate bust right, left shoulder draped.Rev.: COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC; Danube, velificatio, reclining on rocks, right hand holding the prow of a ship. Left arm resting on overflowing container of water. DANVVIVS in exergue.Ref.: RIC II 100 Write up: <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/trajan-the-best-emperor-and-the-mystery-of-the-river-god.318843/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/trajan-the-best-emperor-and-the-mystery-of-the-river-god.318843/">Trajan: the Best Emperor and the Mystery of the River God</a> Why I find it interesting:  Literally all the many things in the above write up.  This is a coin that refers to Trajan’s campaign in Dacia and his crossing of the Danube River and may have an even more specific meaning depending on interpretation. ........................................ Hadrian August AD 117 – July AD 138[ATTACH=full]1199557[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireHadrian (AD 117 – 138)AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 134 – 138Dia.: 17 mmWt.: 2.98 gObv.: HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP; Laureate head rightRev.: AFRICA; Africa with elephant headdress reclining left, holding scorpion and cornucopia, basket of grain at feetEx L. Rose Collection Write up: <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/hadrian-benefactor-of-africa.347308/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/hadrian-benefactor-of-africa.347308/">Hadrian: Benefactor of Africa</a> Why I find it interesting:  I think most people are familiar with Hadrian’s “Travel Series” coins (see my write up above if not).  I prefer the types that have the provinces shown as personifications with attributes associated with the region.  This example shows AFRICA with the following attributes; elephant headdress, cornucopia, grain basket and scorpion. ........................................ Aelius AD 136 – January AD 138 (as heir)[ATTACH=full]1199558[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireAelius as Caesar (AD 136-138)AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck AD 137Dia.: 17 mmWt.: 3.24 gObv.: L AELIVS CAESAR Bare head rightRev.: TR POT COS II Felicitas standing left holding caduceus and cornucopiaRef.: RIC II 430 (Hadrian)Ex Pars Sale 3, lot 357 (Oct. 2019), Ex Numismatik Naumann 75, lot 643 (Mar. 2019), Formerly slabbed by NGC Write up: <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/aelius-the-emperor-who-wasn%E2%80%99t.349757/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/aelius-the-emperor-who-wasn%E2%80%99t.349757/">Aelius: The Emperor Who Wasn’t</a> Why I find it interesting:  Aelius is a lesser known member of the Nerva Antonine Dynast but deserves a place on the list after holding the rank of Caesar and heir under Hadrian.  There are not a lot of coins that reference a specific historical event so I chose this example based on what I consider to be a very pleasant style. ........................................ Antoninus Pius July AD 138 – March AD 161[ATTACH=full]1199559[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireAntoninus Pius, AD 138-161AR Denarius, Rome mint, Struck ca. AD 140-143Wt.: 3.01 gDia.: 17 mm, 6hObv.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR P COS III; Laureate head rightRev.: AEQVITAS AVG; Aequitas standing left, holding scales and sceptreRef.: RIC III 61; RSC 14 Why I find it interesting:  This is another emperor that does not have a lot of imperial silver types with overt historical references.  As such I chose this example for the pleasant purple toning and the reverse (AEQUITAS = Justice / Equality) which seems to be a good type to represent this unusually (for the time) just and equitable emperor. Marcus Aurelius March AD 161 – March AD 181[ATTACH=full]1199562[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireMarcus AureliusAR denarius, Rome mint, struck AD 173Dia.: 19 mmWt.: 3.31 gObv.: M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII; Laureate head rightRev.: IMP VI COS III; German captive seared left at foot of trophyRev.: RIC 280Ex Walter Stoecklin Collection (before 1975); Ex Orfew Collection Why I find it interesting:  I wanted an example of Marcus Aurelius that commemorated an historical event that he was personally involved in.  This coin commemorates Marcus’s victory in the Macromannic War in which he took personal leadership in the field.  While the emperor himself would probably prefer to be remembered more for his philosophical accomplishments I find these references to his military career to be fascinating.  The provenance of this coin is also great as it is both ex Orfew and ex Stoecklin Collection. ........................................ Lucius Verus March AD 161 – January 169[ATTACH=full]1199561[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireLucius Verus (AD 161-169)AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 165-166Dia.: 18 mmWt.: 3.30 gObv.: L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX; Laureate bust rightRev.: TR P VI IMP IIII COS II; Victory standing right holding palm branch and placing a shield inscribed VIC PAR on a palm treeRef.: RIC 566 Why I find it interesting:  Ancient sources often make it seem like Lucius Verus was nothing more than a debauched playboy.  When he was dispatched to lead the war effort against a Parthian attack not long after he became co-emperor he is said to have continued with his well-known extravagant antics. However, the results of his campaign speak for themselves and it is hard to ignore the fact that he was apparently an able administrator and competent leader despite his critic’s jabs at his personality.  This coin commemorates his victory in the Parthian campaign.  Because, officially, any victory of Lucius was also considered a victory for Marcus I have noted that you more often find this coin type struck for Marcus and examples struck for Lucius seem to come up for sale less often.  As such I was very happy to have acquired this example. ........................................ Commodus AD 176 – December AD 192[ATTACH=full]1199560[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireCommodus (AD 177-192)AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 192Dia.: 17 mmWt.: 2.66 gObv.: L AEL AVREL COMMA VG P FEL; Commodus bust right wearing lion skin on head.Rev.: HER-CVL RO-MAN AV-GV; Club in wreathRef.: RIC III 251, ScarceEx W.F. Stoeckin Collection. Acquired in the 1960s from Prof. L. De Nicola in Rome Why I find it interesting:  Commodus was full-blown crazy.  He is well known to have thought he was a reincarnated Hercules and to have participated in some bizarre antics as a make-believe gladiator.  This coin shows Commodus dressed in the lion-skin associated with Hercules.  This portrait is almost an exact representation in miniature of the famous contemporaneous sculpture of Commodus as Hercules. [ATTACH=full]1199584[/ATTACH] ........................................ I know many of you have coins of this period.  So PLEASE POST YOUR 5 GOOD EMPERORS / NERVA ANTONINE DYNASTY COINS!!![/QUOTE]

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