Ancient Roman Emperors & Coins - Introduction

           This is the first in a series of articles about the Roman Emperors, their stories, families, friends, lovers, enemies, and the coins that were issued during their times. Although each topic will center on an emperor and the people, politics, assassinations, wars, murders, myths, religions, insanity, avarice, arrogance, and delusions that might have been, the heart of each article will be about the coins. Each coin being the fingerprint left behind.
           Coins create a bridge to the past. They place a small piece of history in the palm of our hands. When mixed with imagination, they become accessible, interesting, and artful little time machines.

          Take for example the ‘URBS ROMA’ coins shown above (VRBS ROMA in Roman Latin means ‘City of Rome’). They were issued by Constantine the Great between 330 to 334 AD. These coins were shiny and new when priests claimed that Constantine converted to Christianity on his deathbed in 337 AD. The coin on the left speaks to Constantine’s Pagan roots depicting helmeted Roma obverse and Romulus and Remus suckling at the wolf on the reverse, while the coin on the right depicts Constantine’s Christian interests with the Chi Rho symbolizing Christianity on the reverse. Constantine the Great ruled during a period when Pagan and Christian dominance and influence was in flux. These coins cost me around $25 US each. There are millions of Constantine Vrbs Roma coins out there to acquire. I’ve paid as little as $2.50 for a Constantine the Great coin.
          I will leave the rest for my article on Constantine the Great and how he ordered the execution of his eldest son Crispus (326 AD) for treason and his second wife Fausta (327 AD) for... For what? What was it? I’m not sure. I’ll try to find out for my article on Constantine the Great and the coins he issued.
          I enjoy the history of the ancient past as well as the history that is unfolding around us today. I love collecting the coins, new and old, that symbolize, describe, and connect to the people, places and happenings that make up our history. I want to share with you the pleasure I enjoy examining and touching these ancient metal sculptures. Beyond being wonderful educational tools, they are the craft and art of often unnamed individuals that worked over, considered, and created every detail of the dies that were used to produce these coins. These coins were created by people just like you and me; each a person living under the same Moon and stars, standing on the same Earth, breathing from the same bubble of air as we do today. Coins connect us directly with a small group of our ancestors who had dreams and desires just like we have today. Make the connection yet? I intent to help with that.
          Here is a list of the first 9 articles. They include the advent of coins on Earth, the birth of Rome, the Roman Republic, Julius Caesar, and the first five emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. I will continue on with the Emperors that followed right through to the end of the great ‘Pax Romana’ (Latin for ‘Roman Peace’).

Articles in ‘Ancient Roman Emperors & Coins’:
00) Ancient Roman Coins On Ebay
0) Introduction
1) When, where & why were coins first made?
2) The Story of Romulus and Remus & The Birth of Rome
3) The Roman Republic
4) Julius Caesar and the Death of the Republic
5) Augustus Caesar: The First Roman Emperor
6) Tiberius Caesar: The First Julio-Claudian Heir
7) Caligula: The first really crazy Caesar
8) Claudius: A level headed Caesar
9) Nero: The Last Julio-Claudian Heir