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Emperors of Rome - A (Chronological) Portrait Gallery


CPK

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Galba

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Galba
Egypt, Alexandria
Billon-Tetradrachme, year2, AD 68-69
Obv.: ΣEPOYI ΓAΛBA AYTO KAIΣ ΣEBA, Laureate head right LB=year2
Rev.: AΛEΞANΔPEA, Draped bust of Alexandria right, wearing elephant's skin; simpulum before.
Billon, 12.79g, 24.3mm
Köln 226; Dattari 301; Milne 348; Emmett 170; RPC I 5341

 

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Otho

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Otho
Denarius, Rome, AD 69
Obv.: IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TRP, Bare head right
Rev.: SECVRITAS PR, Securitas standing left, holding wreath and sceptre
Ag, 3.28g, 19x17mm
Ref.: RIC² 8, RIC 8, Kankelfitz 3

Edited by shanxi
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Vitellius, Vitellius Germanicus and Vitellia

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Vitellius
Denarius, Rome, AD 69
Obv.: A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVGVST TR P, laureate head right
Rev.: LIBERI IMP GERM AVG, confronted draped busts of Vitellius' son (on left) and daughter (thought to have been named Vitellius Germanicus and Vitellia)
Ag, 3.090g, 18.1mm, 180o
Ref.: RIC² 103, RSC II 2, BMCRE I 29, BnF III 62

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19 minutes ago, shanxi said:

Vitellius, Vitellius Germanicus and Vitellia

normal_R_667_Vitellius.jpg.f23b7750592f3c87ed33560de8f02493.jpg

Vitellius
Denarius, Rome, AD 69
Obv.: A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVGVST TR P, laureate head right
Rev.: LIBERI IMP GERM AVG, confronted draped busts of Vitellius' son (on left) and daughter (thought to have been named Vitellius Germanicus and Vitellia)
Ag, 3.090g, 18.1mm, 180o
Ref.: RIC² 103, RSC II 2, BMCRE I 29, BnF III 62

I really like this type, nice coin! 

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My Galba's, Otho and Vitellius coins:

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Personally, I dont think this is complete without a Vindex issue, or Clodius Macer. I don't own a Macer issue obviously, and Vindex never issues coins bearing his portrait. Still, I'd like to add this one, even though it lacks a portrait, but the nice looking portrait of Mars may compensate for that:

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Here is my last coin from 2022 :  Otho , minted in Alexandria

Obverse: ΑΥΤΟΚ ΜΑΡΚ ΟΘΩΝΟΣ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒ, LΑ; laureate head of Otho, r.

Reverse: ΚΡΑΤΗΣΙΣ; Kratesis with Nike and trophy, standing l.

Tetradrachm, 12.86 gr., A.D.69, RPC I 5361

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And my Denarius :

[IMP M OTHO] CAESAR AVG TR P : head bare r.
SECURI - [TAS P R] : Securitas dr., stg l. r.holding wreath, l. scepter
Denarius , 3.24 gr , 17.74 mm
A.D. 69 , Rome , RIC I 7

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Here is my only Galba silver coin

Obv.: IMP SER GALBA AVG. Bare head right.

Rev.: SPQR / OB / CS. Legend in 3 lines, all within wreath.

A.D. (68-69). Denarius. Rome. 3.19 g, RIC I 167

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and my only Vitellius Denarius

Obv.: A VITELLIVS IMP GERMAN : laureate head of Vitellius right, with globe at point of neck truncation 

rev.: FIDES EXERCITVVM, clasped hands. 

A.D. 69,  Denarius, Lugdunum, 3.16 gr., RIC I 53

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On 1/11/2023 at 3:37 PM, idesofmarch01 said:

My personal Nero favorite will always be the fat-neck, scruffy beard portrait:

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NERO  54 - 68 A.D.
AV Aureus (7.33 g.)  Rome 64 - 65 A.D.  RIC 54
Obv. NERO CAESAR - AVGVSTVS Laureate head r.  Rev. Roma seated l. on cuirass, holding Victory in r. hand and parazonium in l.; in exergue, ROMA

HIs coins, even the smaller ones, can be extraordinarily artistic, but I've always wondered why he didn't force the engravers to make his portraits a bit more attractive.

I really like that portrait too. Here is my somewhat humbler example.

NERO FACING RIGHT
VESTA
Temple of Vesta .
Celebrating Nero's rebuilding of the temple of Vesta in 65 AD
NRCV 1946

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1 minute ago, Dafydd said:

Here is a stern looking Galba

Galba, 68-69 As Tarraco (?) September to December 68, Æ 27mm., 11.17g. Laureate head r., with globe at point of the bust. Rev. Libertas standing l., holding pileus in r. hand and rod in l. C #. RIC 73.

 

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Followed with a Fourree?

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GALBA (68-69), AR denier, 68-69, Rome. D / IMP SER GALBA AVG T. naked to r. R / SPQR / OB / CS in an oak wreath. BMC 314, 34; RIC 167. 2.73g 

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Finally a Vitellius

 

VITELLIUS (69). Denarius. Rome.

Obv: A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG TR P.
Laureate head right.
Rev: XV VIR SACR FAC.
Tripod surmounted by dolphin right; below, raven right.

Rev: XV VIR SACR FAC.
Tripod surmounted by dolphin right; below, raven right.
RIC109

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On 1/11/2023 at 3:37 PM, idesofmarch01 said:

My personal Nero favorite will always be the fat-neck, scruffy beard portrait:

image.jpeg.b9a905354452c8fb43b605a224e24a82.jpeg

NERO  54 - 68 A.D.
AV Aureus (7.33 g.)  Rome 64 - 65 A.D.  RIC 54
Obv. NERO CAESAR - AVGVSTVS Laureate head r.  Rev. Roma seated l. on cuirass, holding Victory in r. hand and parazonium in l.; in exergue, ROMA

HIs coins, even the smaller ones, can be extraordinarily artistic, but I've always wondered why he didn't force the engravers to make his portraits a bit more attractive.

Narcissists can find absolutely no fault in themselves only in others. He most likely thought that his appearance was that of a God.

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On 1/8/2023 at 11:34 PM, CPK said:

We now move on to Claudius!

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I have a soft spot for this emperor, having been introduced to him (as many no doubt!) through Robert Graves' historical novels/biographies I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Claudius was an unlikely figure for Emperor in more ways than one, but with all his foibles he proved himself to be a competent administrator - and a vast improvement over his nephew and predecessor!

There exists a fairly wide variety of portrait styles of Claudius. Here is my favorite portrait coin of him - offering perhaps a slightly more regal image of him than some coins. In addition to the portrait, the coin has a warm patina and pleasing surfaces:

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Let's see your portraits of this unexpected Princeps!

Here is my 2022 acquisition of a Claudius Denarius.

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Sear 1846.

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Here are my contributions for this trio.  All photos are from the sellers.

Galba

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Galba, AD 68-69.
AE sestertius, 22.4 g, 34.2 mm, 6 h.
Rome mint, October AD 68.
Obv: [IMP] SER GALBA CAES AVG T[R P]; Bust of Galba, laureate and draped, right.
Rev: AVGVSTA S C; Livia seated left, holding patera and scepter.
Refs: RIC 336.
Acquired from Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 490, Lot 270, 21 April 2021.
Provenance: From the Peter J. Merani Collection. Ex Harding Collection (Hans Schulman, 10 October 1972), lot 486.

Otho

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Otho, AD 69.
AR denarius, 2.5 g, 18.0 mm, 6 h.
Rome mint, Jan-Feb AD 69.
Obv: [IMP] M OTHO CAESAR AVG T[R P]; Head of Otho, bare, right.
Rev: SE[CVRITAS P R]; Securitas, draped, standing left, holding wreath in right hand and sceptre in left.
Refs: RIC 8, Sear RCV 2162.
Acquired from Leu Numismatik, Web Auction 19, Lot 2566, 27 February 2022.

Vitellius

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Vitellius, AD 69.
AR denarius, 2.7 g, 18.6 mm, 6 h.
Rome mint, Jul-Dec AD 69.
Obv: [A V]ITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG [TR P]; Head of Vitellius, laureate, right.
Rev: XV VIR [SA]CR FAC; Tripod lebes on which lies a dolphin, beneath is a raven.
Refs: RIC 109, Sear RCV 2201.
Acquired from Roma Numismatics, E-Sale 66, Lot 892, 9 January 2020.

 

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