Imperial Rome:10 Silver Coins

The Roman Empire was the greatest the world had ever known. Its dominions stretched from Britain to Persia, from the Maghreb to Northern Europe, and encompassed every inch of shoreline along the great Mediterranean Sea. Rome endured for centuries, establishing a system of colonization and administration that is still copied today. This remarkable collection of genuine silver coins traces the history of the Empire from the second through the third centuries.--1/ Antoninus Pius, 138-161-The adopted son and heir of the great emperor Hadrian, Antonius was notable for one reason: his pacifism. It was said of Antonius that, not only did he never command an army in his 23 years on the throne, but he never so much as inspected a garrison.--2/ Septimius Severus, 193-211-This hard-nosed emperor seized power in the fabled Year of the Five Emperors, deposing and killing the incumbent emperor and defeating his rivals to the throne.--3/ Caracalla, 198-217-The son of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna, Caracalla assumed sole control of Rome after murdering his brother Geta in 211. A year later, he issued the famous Edict of Caracalla, granting full Roman citizenship, with all its attendant benefits, to all free men in the Empire. The baths he constructed are one of the major tourist attractions in modern-day Rome. He was assassinated in 217.--4/ Alexander Severus, 222-235-The 13 years of his reign were marked by general peace and prosperity. He checked the Sassanids in the East, and manipulated the Germanic tribes through diplomacy and bribery. None of this prevented him from being assassinated, however, and the lack of a viable heir plunged Rome into the so-called Crisis of the Third Century, a 50-year period of intense chaos and upheaval.--5/ Gordian III, 238-244-He was proclaimed Augustus by the army at the age of 13, making him the youngest emperor to rule by himself. In the year 242, Gordian left for Persia to direct campaigns in the East. He never returned, as he was assassinated far away from home.--6/ Philip I, 244-249-Called ”The Arab“ because of his Syrian birthplace, the former Praetorian Guard prefect assumed the throne after the death of Gordian III, although he himself had no hand in the assassination. Philip negotiated a peace treaty with the Persian king Shapur I and presided over Rome’s millennial celebration.--7/ Trajan Decius, 249-251-A senator from a noble family who took the throne after the assassination of Philip, Decius he died fighting the Goths, he became the first Roman emperor killed in battle by a foreign enemy.--8/ Valerian I, 253-260-Upon taking the throne with his son Gallienus, he headed East, to take on the Persians and their nefarious ruler, Shapur I. He was captured, paraded around Persia in chains, and used as a footstool. After his death, his body was stuffed and hung on the wall in Shapur’s palace.--9/ Gallienus, 253-268-This hard-nosed emperor implemented important reforms in the military. Before his assassination, Gallienus lost a chuck of the empire, including Gaul—lands it would never recover.--10/ Salonina, 253-268-Empress and wife to Gallienus, she survived the entirety of her husband’s reign. After his death, she is no longer mentioned in the sources, but it is almost certain that she was put to death

Packaging: wood box.

Images are representative of the type and general grade. The date, mint, color, toning, and exact coins received may vary unless the listing explicitly says the actual lot is shown.