ROMAN REPUBLIC THE FIRST DENARIUS
All non-portrait types about 3.8 grams of good silver.
Poor
G+
Fine
VF
EF
AU
211-144 BC ................................
--
57.
77.
137.
227.
--
Sulla 82 BC ................................
37.
57.
--
--
397.
--
Brutus 60-42 BC ........................
--
97.
277.
477.
677.
--
Marc Anthony 44-31 BC (Roman War Galley/Legionary Standards)
Legions I-XXIII .....................
17.
37.
97.
277.
677.
--
Portrait .................................
--
117.
277.
577.
1577.
--
THE TWELVE CAESARS
The Twelve Caesars. After Julius Caesar the word Caesar became the
title of the heir to the Roman throne. Octavian, the nephew of Julius, took
the title Augustus as a name. Henceforth the supreme title of power in the
empire was the accolade Augustus.
Poor
G+
Fine
VF
EF
AU
Julius Caesar portrait c. 44 BC ..
--
--
677.
1277.
--
--
Venus portrait, 49-44 BC .....
87.
147.
197.
377.
577.
--
Augustus 31 BC-14 AD..............
47.
97.
137.
177.
277.
497.
Tiberius 14-37 AD ......................
--
127.
177.
297.
397.
--
Caligula 37-41 AD......................
--
--
--
Call
--
--
Claudius 41-54 AD .....................
--
377.
--
--
--
--
Nero 54-68 AD ...........................
47.
117.
247.
550.
975.
--
Galba 68-69 AD .........................
77.
147.
377.
775.
1775.
--
Otho 69 AD ................................
197.
377.
775.
1775.
2700.
--
Vitellius 69 AD............................
47.
97.
375.
--
--
--
Vespasian 69-79 AD ..................
17.
27.
47.
97.
225.
377.
Titus, his son, as Caesar 69-79 AD
27.
37.
67.
277.
477.
--
Titus as Augustus 79-81 AD.......
27.
37.
67.
177.
377.
775.
Julia Titi, his daughter ................
--
--
--
--
1775.
--
Domitian, second son as Caesar
under Vespasian 69-79 AD..
17.
27.
57.
127.
277.
--
Domitian, as Caesar under his
brother Titus 79-81 AD.........
17.
27.
77.
177.
377.
--
Domitian as Augustus 81-96 AD
17.
27.
37.
67.
127.
277.
THE ADOPTIVE EMPERORS, and FAMILIES
G+
Fine
VF
EF Abt. Unc.
Nerva 96-98 AD.............................
37.
77.
227.
377.
1775.
Trajan 98-117 AD...........................
19.
27.
57.
97.
297.
Dacian War commemoratives .
27.
47.
77.
127.
--
Trajan's Column in the Forum .......
47.
117.
197.
--
--
Hadrian 177-138 AD ......................
19.
33.
67.
127.
297.
Hadrian, posthumous ...................
--
--
877.
--
--
Sabina, Hadrian's wife...................
39.
67.
157.
277.
--
Sabina, posthumous......................
--
177.
--
--
--
Aelius, as Caesar 136-138 AD ......
117.
177.
277.
477.
--
Antoninus Pius as Caesar 138 AD
37.
77.
177.
377.
--
as Augustus 138-161 AD.........
19.
29.
47.
77.
177.
posthumous, by Aurelius .........
29.
37.
57.
87.
147.
Faustina Senior, his wife, during
her lifetime, died 141 AD .........
--
37.
77.
197.
377.
Faustina Senior, posthumous........
19.
29.
47.
77.
177.
Marcus Aurelius as Caesar
under Pius 139-161 AD ...........
19.
37.
67.
97.
197.
as Augustus 161-180 AD.........
19.
37.
57.
77.
197.
posthumous, by Commodus ...
27.
47.
77.
127.
--
Faustina Junior, wife of Aurelius....
19.
27.
37.
57.
177.
after her death in 175 AD ........
19.
27.
37.
57.
177.
Lucius Verus as
Augustus 161-169 AD .............
37.
57.
97.
197.
377.
posthumous by Commodus ....
37.
57.
97.
197.
--
Lucilla, wife of Lucius and
sister of Commodus ................
27.
37.
47.
67.
147.
THE ADOPTIVE EMPERORS, and FAMILIES
G+
Fine
VF
EF Abt. Unc.
Commodus as Caesar 175-177 AD
--
77.
147.
277.
477.
co-Augustus with Aurelius .......
--
57.
97.
197.
377.
as Augustus 177-192 AD.........
27.
37.
67.
97.
277.
Insane, as Hercules ................
57.
97.
177.
377.
--
Crispina, wife of Commodus .........
37.
57.
87.
177.
377.
ASSASSINATIONS and TURMOIL
G+
Fine
VF
EF
AU
Pertinax, 86 days in 193 AD ..........
--
--
877.
1750.
2750.
Didius Julianus, 66 days in 193 AD
--
--
--
2750.
--
Manlia Scantilla, his wife ...............
--
--
1277.
--
--
Pescennius Niger 193-194 AD
in the East ...............................
--
1077.
1750.
2750.
--
Clodius Albinus, as Caesar
under Septimus Severus,
193-195 AD ................................
87.
177.
377.
577.
--
THE SEVERAN DYNASTY & MILITARY EMPERORS
G+
Fine
VF
EF
AU
Septimus Severus 193-211 AD......
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
posthumous by sons, 211-212 AD
--
--
--
--
297.
Julia Domna, his wife ....................
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
Caracalla, boy as Caesar 196-198 .....
--
27.
47.
97.
197.
boy as co-Augustus 198-205 AD...
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
youth as co-Augustus 205-211 AD
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
bearded, Augustus 211-217 AD....
--
27.
37.
47.
77.
Plautilla, wife of Caracalla .............
37.
47.
67.
97.
177.
Geta, as Caesar 198-209 AD .........
27.
37.
47.
67.
177.
as co-Augustus 209-212 AD .....
37.
57.
77.
97.
227.
211-212 AD with full beard .......
37.
57.
87.
127.
297.
Macrinus 217-218 AD ....................
47.
67.
117.
177.
477.
Diadumenian, Caesar 217-218 AD
--
--
377.
477.
777.
Elagabalus, Augustus 218-222 AD
27.
37.
47.
67.
97.
insane, with horn on head .......
27.
37.
47.
87.
147.
Julia Paula, ex-wife in 220 AD.......
47.
77.
117.
187.
277.
Julia Aquilea Severa, ex-Vestal Virgin
--
--
377.
--
--
Julia Soaemias, his mother ...........
27.
47.
77.
117.
197.
Jula Maesa, sister of Julia Domna
27.
37.
47.
77.
117.
Severus Alexander, 222-235 AD ...
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
Amazing hoard picked for luster and sharp reverse dies! Gem Unc. @ $177.00
Julia Mammaea, his mother ..........
27.
37.
47.
67.
87.
Orbiana, wife of Severus Alexander
--
--
477.
--
--
Maximinus I, Thrax 235-238 AD ....
--
27.
37.
47.
57.
Maximus, as Caesar 235-238 AD..
--
--
277.
--
775.
Gordian II, Africanus 238 AD .........
--
--
--
3200.
--
Balbinus 238 AD ............................
--
--
--
677.
--
Pupienus 238 AD...........................
--
--
--
--
975.
Gordian III, 238-244 AD,
(Ch. Unc. $97.)........................
--
27.
37.
47.
67.
After Gordian the use of the denarius dwindled to nothing as the
increasingly base Double Denarius drove the good silver from
circulation.
Gallienus 253-268 AD Bronze Denarius, EF.............................................
477.
ARGENTEUS The Resurrected Denarius on the Good Silver
Standard of Nero Equal to Five Folles.
VF
EF
Unc.
Diocletian 284-305 AD ................................................
277.
--
1277.
Maximianus 286-305 AD .............................................
277.
377.
--
Constantius I as Caesar 293-305 AD..........................
--
--
1277.
Galerius Caesar as Caesar 293-305 AD.....................
277.
--
--
We will take your rare coins, tokens, currency, or bullion in trade. We
always need to buy collections, hoards, or scarce-to-rare single coins.
All gold coins wanted.
JONATHAN K. KERN
ROMAN DENARII
The Single Most Important Ancient Coin Denomination
Antoninus Pius
Augustus
Diadumenian
Didius Julianus
Domitian
Hadrian
Nerva
Nero
Aquilea Severa
Claudius
Gordian II
Holy Meteorite
on parade
Commodus
as Hercules
C. 200 B.C.
Galley, beasts
and gladiators
in arena
Otho
Pescennius Niger
Sabina
Tiberius
Titus
Trajan
Macrinus
Julius Caesar
Marcus Aurelius
FOLLES OF THE TETRARCHY
Christianity in Transition: From Persecution to Salvation
1. Diocletian, as Augustus, 295 to 305 AD.
Abt. Unc. $97.; EF+ $57.; VF $37.; F ..
$27.
2. Diocletian, struck after his abdication in
305 AD. EF+ $127.; VF $77.; F+ .........
$47.
3. Maximianus, as Augustus, 295 to 305 AD.
Abt. Unc. $97.; EF+ $57.; VF $37.; F ..
$27.
4. Maximianus, struck after his abdication in
305 AD. EF+ $157.; VF $87.; F ...........
$47.
5. Galerius, as Caesar, 295 to 305 AD, Abt. Unc.
$77.; EF $57.; VF $37.; F ....................
$27.
6. Galerius, as Augustus, 305 to 307 AD,
Abt. Unc. $77.; EF $57.; VF $37.; F ....
$27.
7. Constantius I, as Caesar, 295 to 305 AD,
Abt. Unc. $77.; EF $57.; VF $37.; F ....
$27.
8. Constantius I, as Augustus, 305 to 306 AD,
Abt. Unc. $97.; EF $67.; VF $47.; F ....
$27.
9. Constantine I, the Great, as Caesar, 306 to
307 AD, EF+ $247.; VF $97.; F ...........
$47.
10. Severus II, as Caesar, Follis 305 to 306 AD.
Abt. Unc. $197.; EF $97.; VF $67.; F ..
$47.
11. Severus II, as Augustus, Follis 306 to 307 AD.
Abt. Unc. $277.; EF $157.; VF $117.; F . $67.
12. Maximinus II, as Caesar, 305 to 307 AD.
Abt. Unc. $137.; EF $57.; VF $37.; F ..
$27.
JONATHAN K. KERN
441 S. Ashland Ave., Lexington, Kentucky 40502
To order, call 859-269-1614 between 9 AM & 6 PM EST
Professional Numismatist · Bachelor of Arts in Numismatics
24-hour FAX only: 859-266-7900
Email: JKernCoins@aol.com
AUTHENTICITY & SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!
MAIL ORDER POLICIES
1. All coins guaranteed as described. ANA and common
sense grading. Your satisfaction guaranteed!
2. 14 day return privilege or approval service can be
arranged with proper references.
3. Personal checks of unknown customers must clear.
References may be required. VISA, MasterCard and
American Express accepted.
4. Kentucky residents add 6% sales tax.
5. All coins sent insured or registered! Orders less than
$200 please add $4.00 for postage and handling.
6. Most coins are one-of-a-kind. Second choices
appreciated.
7. Visits by appointment only.
Quantity Discounts. 10 or more coins take 5% off, 20 or more coins take 10% off.
This ad supersedes all previous ads.
In 284 AD, an experienced soldier from the Danubian province, Diocles, was acclaimed as
emperor by his legions under the name Diocletian. This new strong emperor put an end to the 50
years of anarchy that had dominated since the murder of Severus Alexander in 235 AD. Diocletian first
had to contend with a rival for the throne: Carinus, emperor in the west since 283 AD. Diocletian
defeated Carinus in battle in 285 AD after which Carinus was assassinated by his own off i c e r s .
Another challenge to the new emperor was a peasant revolt in Gaul. To the west, Diocletian sent
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus, commonly known as Maximianus, who successfully quelled the
rebellion.
For his services, Diocletian elevated Maximianus co-emperor, in charge of the western provinces,
while Diocletian ruled the eastern provinces. Diocletian had quickly realized that the empire was now
too vast and unwieldy to be governed by one man, especially given the threat of a revived Persian
Empire under the new Sassanian leadership on the far eastern frontier, and the ever-present danger
from the Germany tribes on the northern frontier.
In 293 AD, Diocletian expanded this new system by giving each emperor an assistant with the title
of Caesar. Constantius I was made Maximianus' colleague in the west, while Galerius was made
Caesar for the east. To strengthen the bonds between these four rulers, or "tetrarchs," Constantius
divorced his first wife, Helena, an early Christian and mother of Constantine the Great. Constantius
then married Theodora, the step-daughter of Maximianus, and Galerius divorced his first wife to marry
Galeria Valeria, the daughter of Diocletian. This tetrarchy system of rule was soon tested with the
rebellion of Domitius Domitianus in Alexandria, Egypt, in 296 AD. Diocletian besieged the city
successfully and restored imperial rule.
D i o c l e t i a n 's reforms of the Roman Empire extended to the currency as well. In 296 AD, he
introduced a new coin called the Follis (plural: Folles), which quickly became the standard of the
Empire. The old noble silver Denarius of Rome had become a small bronze piece through decades of
debasement and the political anarchy preceding Diocletian. The new Follis was apparently equal to 25
of the bronze Denarii in 285 AD, or about 1/5 of a good silver Denarius from the time of Vespasian in
75 AD. The new Follis had a silver content of 1 part silver to 20 parts copper, and weighed a hefty 10
grams. The blanks planchets of this "billon" or low grade silver alloy were soaked in salt water to leach
out the copper on the surface and enhance the silver. When freshly struck, these large Folles had a
spectacular silver appearance which rapidly fades to a dark gray or even coppery look.
In cities all across the empire, the mints issuing coins were reorganized and local denominations
and designs were discarded. Greek coin legends all became a uniform Latin. The Folles, with
relatively few variations in designs, became the standard coin of the realm and created a uniformity in
coinage that no previous emperor had ever achieved. Each of the mints now had clear mintmarks,
and officina (workshop) symbols, so a chain of responsibility could be clearly tracked. The Folles
struck in London, Egypt, Turkey, Syria and Rome all turn up in hoards uncovered in northern Greece,
demonstrating their wide circulation.
Diocletian was justifiably proud of his reforms but he still was faced with the persistent pressure of
inflation. He issued an edict attempting to set price and wage controls which, considering human
nature, bureaucratic budget juggling, and large mintages of "clad" coins, was doomed to failure. The
large body of recorded history concerning this edict helps to track purchasing power. The maximum
wage for a skilled laborer was 5 Folles a day, while a shepherd could only earn 4. Slaves, of course,
were paid nothing, but the going price of a human was anywhere between 1,000 to 10,000 Folles
depending on their health and skills. A picture painter could charge 30 Folles a day. A modius of wheat
(18.5 quarts) was fixed at only 8 and 2/3 Folles, but the emperor routinely subsidized the price of grain
to keep the poor populace from going hungry and revolting. A pound of pork was pegged at 2 and 1/2
Folles. A pound of wild pheasant was 25 Folles. A peck of salt was 20 Folles, and a pound of olive oil
or honey was 16 Folles. A serving of table wine was about 1 and 2/3 Folles. Cheap Egyptian beer was
2/5 Follis a pint. The price of a pound of silk brought from the Orient was frozen at 2,400 Folles, and
the royal purple silk at 30,000 Folles a pound.
During the reign of Diocletian, the last active persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empirewere
conducted. In 305 AD he voluntarily abdicated, and compelled the reluctant Maximianus to do the
same. After Constantius I and Galerius became the two new Augusti, two newCaesars,bothnominees
of Galerius, were appointed: Severus II & Maximinus II. The son of Maximianus, Maxentius, and the
son of Constantius I, Constantine, were both passed over for the rank of Caesar. Galerius then
e ffectively controlled 3/4 of the empire. This "Second Tetrarchy" soon showed its imbalance.
Constantius I died in Britain in 306 AD, shortly after a border war with the Picts from Scotland.
Constantine I, on campaign with his father, was immediately proclaimed emperor by his father's
legions.
In an attempt to placate Constantine, Galerius gave him the title of Caesar, whilst elevating
Severus II to fill the vacant Augustus position. However, Maxentius, the son of Maximianus, had
himself proclaimed Augustus in Italy and he invited his father to become a co-Augustus for a second
reign. Galerius sent Severus II to suppress the rebellion but Severus was captured and executed by
the rebels. Galerius prepared to lead the invasion of Italy himself, prompting Maximianus to seek and
conclude an alliance with Constantine. This new alliance gave Constantine I the title of Augustus, and
he married Fausta, a daughter of Maximianus in early 307 AD. Galerius invaded Italy but could not
take Rome. Many of his troops deserted and he was forced to retreat out of Italy to Pannonia. (End of
part one. Next in Coin World: Christianity becomes the state religion).
Jonathan K. Kern company is very pleased to offer a superb selection of choice Folles from this
period which were probably buried in early 307, and may have been a military payroll for the legions of
Galerius. Dates given below were the striking dates for the Folles from our hoard, not necessarily
regnal years. The coins are mostly unworn, so our lower grade coins are F or VF because of
preservation or production problems. Our About Uncirculated coins will be sharp and have much of
the silvering intact. Extremely Fine Folles have some wear and some silvering or smooth gray
surfaces. Very Fine examples usually are this grade because of irregular planchets, verdigris, worn
dies or uneven strikes. Fines will have substantial problems for the same reasons.