(3 and 4.) Imperial coins. The Imperial series may be said to commence in B.C. 2, when Augustus was made Pater Patriæ. From this time forward the names of the moneyers cease to appear on the coinage.
The portrait of the emperor, or of some member of the Imperial family, now almost always occupies the obverse of the coin. The reverse type is, as a general rule, some allegorical figure, such as Spes, Justitia, Salus, Pietas, etc., etc., or the representation of some one of the many provinces of the empire, e.g. Britannia, Judæa, etc., or again some military subject, e.g. legionary standards, or the emperor addressing his soldiers, together with a great variety of types, to mention which would occupy far more space than we have here at our disposal.
The inscriptions on the Imperial coins contain in an abbreviated form the date of their issue, calculated by the number of times which the Tribunitia Potestas, or Tribunitian power, had been conferred upon the emperor. This office was renewed annually on the first day of January. The formula is TR. POT. or TR. P., followed by a numeral, as, on a coin of Trajan, TR. P. XX. COS. VI. IMP. XI. This means that the coin was struck when the emperor was in the possession of the Tribunitian power for the 20th time, of the consulship for the 6th time, and of the Imperatorship for the 11th time. Now, as Trajan had the Tribunitian power for the first time in A.D. 98, we get the date A.D. 116 for the coin in question. The other offices mentioned were not annual.
The following is a list of the Roman emperors, and other members of the Imperial families, arranged in the order in which it is usual to classify their coins, which is, as far as possible, chronological:—
Augustus
Livia or Julia, wife of Augustus Agrippa | B.C. 27-A.D. 14 |
| | A.D. |
| Tiberius | 14-37 |
| Caius | |
| Caius and Lucius | |
| Drusus senior | |
| Antonia | |
| Drusus junior | |
| Germanicus | |
| Agrippina, wife of Germanicus | |
| Nero & Drusus, sons " | |
| Caligula | 37-41 |
| Claudius | 41-54 |
| Britannicus | |
| Agrippina, w. of Claudius | |
| Nero | 54-68 |
| Galba | 68-69 |
| Otho | 69 |
| Vitellius | 69 |
| Vespasian | 69-79 |
| Domitilla, w. of Vespasian | |
| Domitilla, daughter of Vespasian | |
| Titus | 79-81 |
| Julia, daughter of Titus | |
| Domitian | 81-96 |
| Domitia, wife of Domitian | |
| Nerva | 96-98 |
| Trajan | 98-117 |
| Plotina, wife of Trajan | |
| Marciana, sister of Trajan | |
| Matidia, daughter of Marciana | |
| Hadrian | 117-138 |
| Sabina, wife of Hadrian | |
| Ælius, adopted by Hadrian | |
| Antoninus Pius | 138-161 |
| Faustina I., w. of Ant. Pius. | |
| M. Aurelius | 161-180 |
| Faustina II., w. of M. Aurelius | |
| L. Verus | 161-169 |
| Lucilla, w. of L. Verus | |
| Commodus | 180-192 |
| Crispina, w. of Commodus | |
| Pertinax | 193 |
| Didius Julianus | 193 |
| Manlia Scantilla, w. of Did. Julian.
| |
| Pescennius Niger | 194 |
| Clodius Albinus (in Britain) | 193-197 |
| Septimius Severus | 193-211 |
| Julia Domna, w. of S. Severus | |
| M. Aurel. Antoninus (Caracalla) | 211-217 |
| Plautilla, w. of Caracalla | |
| Geta, brother of Caracalla | 211-212 |
| Macrinus | 217 |
| Diadumenian, son of Macrinus | |
| M. Aurel. Antoninus (Elagabalus) | 218-222 |
| Julia Paula, w. of Elagabalus | |
| Aquillia Severa, w. of Elagabalus | |
| Annia Faustina, w. of Elagabalus | |
| Julia Soaemias, mother of Elagabalus | |
| Julia Mæsa, grandmother of Elagabalus | |
| M. Aurel. Severus Alexander | 222-235 |
| Barbia Orbiana, w. of Sev. Alex. | |
| Julia Mamæa, mother of Sev. Alex. | |
| Uranius Sulpicius Antoninus (in the East) | |
| Maximinus I. | 235-238 |
| Paulina, w. of Maximinus | |
| Maximus, son of Maximinus | |
| Gordian I. | 238 |
| Gordian II. | 238 |
| Balbinus | 238 |
| Pupienus | 238 |
| Gordian III. Pius | 238-244 |
| Tranquillina, w. of Gordian III. | |
| Philip I. | 244-249 |
| Otacilia, w. of Philip I. | |
| Philip II., son of Philip I. | 244-249 |
| Trajan Decius | 249-251 |
| Herennia Etruscilla, w. of Traj. Decius | |
| Herennius Etruscus, son of Traj. Decius | 251 |
| Hostilianus, son of Traj. Decius | 251 |
| Trebonianus Gallus | 251-254 |
| Volusianus, son of Treb. Gallus | |
| Æmilianus | 253-254 |
| Cornelia Supera, w. of Æmilian. | |
| Valerianus I. | 253-260 |
| Mariniana, w. of Valerian I. | |
| Gallienus | 253-268 |
| Salonina, w. of Gallienus | |
| Saloninus, son of Gallienus | |
| Claudius II., Gothicus | 268-270 |
| Quintillus, brother of Claudius II. | |
| Aurelianus | 270-275 |
| Severina, w. of Aurelianus | |
| Postumus (in Gaul) | 258-267 |
| Postumus II., son of Postum. | |
| Lælianus (in Gaul) | |
| Victorinus I. (in Gaul) | 265-267 |
| Marius (in Gaul) | 267 |
| Tetricus I. (in Gaul) | 267-273 |
| Tetricus II., son of Tetric. I. | |
| Macrianus I. (in the East) | 260-262 |
| Macrianus II., son of Macrianus I. | |
| Quietus, son of Macrianus I. | 260-262 |
| Tacitus | 275-276 |
| Florianus | 276 |
| Probus | 276-282 |
| Carus | 282-283 |
| Carinus | 283-285 |
| Magnia Urbica, w. of Carinus | |
| Nigrinianus, son of Carinus | |
| Numerianus | 283-284 |
| Julianus | |
| Diocletianus | 284-305 |
| Maximianus I., Hercules | 286-305 |
| Carausius (in Britain) | 287-293 |
| Allectus | 293-296 |
| Domitius Domitianus (in Egypt) | |
| Constantius I., Chlorus | 305-306 |
| Maximianus II. | 305-311 |
| Valeria, w. of Maximian. II. | |
| Severus II. | 306-307 |
| Maximinus II. (Daza) | 308-313 |
| Maxentius | 306-312 |
| Romulus, son of Maxentius | |
| Licinius I. | 307-323 |
| Licinius II., son of Licinius I. | |
| Martinianus | 323 |
| Constantinus I., the Great | 306-337 |
| Fausta, w. of Constantine | |
| Crispus, son of Constantine | |
| Helena, mother of Constant. | |
| Theodora | |
| Delmatius, nephew of Constantine | |
| Hanniballianus, brother of Delmatius | |
| Constantinus II. | 337-340
|
| Constans | 337-350 |
| Magnentius (in Gaul) | 350-353 |
| Decentius, brother of Magnentius | |
| Nepotianus | 350 |
| Vetranio | 350-356 |
| Constantius II. | 337-361 |
| Constantius Gallus | |
| Julian II. (The Apostate) | 361-363 |
| Jovianus | 363-364 |
| Valentinian I. | 364-375 |
| Valens | 364-378 |
| Procopius (in the East) | 365-366 |
| Gratianus | 375-383 |
| Maximus II. (Britain and Gaul) | 383-388 |
| Victor, son of Maximus II. | |
| Valentinian II. | 375-392 |
| Theodosius I., the Great | 379-395 |
| Flaccilla, w. of Theodosius | |
| Eugenius (in Gaul) | 392-394 |
| Honorius | 395-423 |
The above list is not quite complete, even as far as it goes, but it includes the names of all the emperors whose coins are at all likely to be met with by the young collector.
The series of the large brass coins, which is more interesting than the others, ceases after the reign of Postumus.
(5) Imperial medallions. As illustrations of the life and religion of the Romans under the Empire, as well as of the history of the times, no numismatic monuments which have come down to us can compete with the large bronze medallions. They are to be distinguished from the current large brass coins by the absence of the letters s.c. (senatus consulto), as well as usually by their larger size, higher relief, and finer work. As, however, the prices fetched by good medallions are, as a rule, very high, they are practically out of the reach of the collector of moderate means.