Roman military victories on Rarities

Coins served as both the messenger and message in ancient Rome. The Roman Republican denarius, introduced around 211 BC, was valued at 10 asses. It standardized currency for centuries.

The Armenia Capta gold aureus of Lucius Verus, issued in A.D. 163 in Rome made 14,000 Swiss francs ($13,963 U.S.) in 2019 against an estimate of 7,500 francs. In 163, the Roman general Marcus Statius Priscus invaded Armenia and captured the capital Artaxata. The second coin was issued in Rome, sometime in early 218. It features a bust of Macrinus on the obverse, and the reverse shows Victory seated. The reverse proclaims a victory over the Parthians, which is ironic, since Macrinus agreed to a humiliating peace treaty. 20,000 Swiss francs ($19,946 U.S.) against an estimate of 5,000 francs.

Worst Roman Emperors

Some Roman emperors reputation for cruelty, excess, and debauchery, enabled by unbridled power at the head of a decadent society, serves as a warning of the pitfalls of absolute power today. Roman emperors had short lifespans after ascending to the throne. Of the 69 emperors from the accession of Augustus to the reign of Theodosius, 43 suffered a violent death.

Tiberius ruled AD 14–37. He sank into morbid suspicion of everyone around him. He retreated to the island of Capri and revived the ancient accusation of maiestas (treason) and used it to sentence to death anyone he desired. Tiberius living on Capri is recorded as a depraved sexual predator. Tiberius Gold Aureus. Lugdunum. AU Strike 5/5 - Surface 3/5. US$11,150

Caligula ruled from 37–41 CE. He became infamous for his extreme feats of carnage. Nero was his nephew. Caligula was cruel, depraved, and insane. In January 41 CE officers of the Praetorian Guard, led by Cassius Chaerea, killed him. Caligula, formally Gaius, Gold Aureus. Rome, A.D. 40. Laureate head of Gaius facing right, Germanicus, Caligula's father who died in A.D. 19, facing right. Au strike 5/5, surface 2/5. US$45,000.

Nero (AD 54 to 68) debased currency and confiscated senators' property and severely taxed to fund his palace, the Domus Aurea. Rome burned for nine days. Its said Nero used the fire to clear space for his palace. Nero blamed the Christians, executing thousands. Nero Gold Aureus. Lugdunum, A.D. 56-8. Nero facing right, VF, Strike 4/5, Surface 2/5. US$10,800.

Domitian (81–96) was fearful and paranoid. Conspiracy theories consumed him, and some were true. He curtailed the Senate and expelled those he deemed unworthy. He executed officials who opposed his policies and confiscated their property. Domitian was assassinated in 96 CE. Domitian Gold Aureus. Rome. Struck AD 90-91. Superb EF. US$29,500.

Commodus (177–192) was cruel, debauched, and a corrupt megalomaniac who viewed himself as reincarnated Greek gods. He too devalued Roman currency mercilessly, instituting the largest drop in value since Nero. Commodus Gold Aureus. Rome mint. Struck AD 183. Superb EF US$24,500

Elagabalus (218 to 222). Elagabalus's sin was not bloody, but acting unlike any Emperor. Writers told of his sexual perversion, feminity, bisexuality, and transvestism. Elagabalus Gold Aureus. Slow quadriga moving right, on which is set the conical stone of Emesa. Very rare. Graded NGC Ch VF Strike: 5/5 Surface: 2/5. Graffito. Marks. Bent. US$20,000

Caracalla (AD 211–217) dealt brutally with opponents: he exterminated all of them. Caracalla quickly turned the surplus he inherited from his father into a deficit. He was assassinated by a group of army officers, including Praetorian prefect Opellius Macrinus. Caracalla Gold Aureus. Rome mint. Struck AD 213. Near EF. Extremely rare and important. Caracalla renovated the  Circus Maximus in AD 213, and rare aurei and sestertii were issued to celebrate. This aerial view depicts the Circus as it would be seen from the Palatine Hill. US$140,000

Diocletian (AD 284–305) conducted a ruthless persecution of Christians. Diocletian set about it's total eradication. Churches were destroyed, scriptures burnt, and Christians who refused to give up their faith were tortured and executed. Diocletian Gold Aureus. Grade NGC Ch AU Strike: 5/5 Surface: 4/5, edge marks. US$20,000

Germanicus

Germanicus Julius Caesar was born on this day in 15 BC. He died 10 October AD 19. Germanicus was a Roman general and politician most famous for his campaigns against Arminius in Germania. He was the son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger. Germanicus was added to his full name in 9 BC when it was posthumously awarded to his father in honor of his victories in Germania. In AD 4 he was adopted by his paternal uncle Tiberius. Ten years later, Tiberius succeeded Augustus as Roman emperor. Germanicus was the father of Caligula, the maternal grandfather of Nero, and the older brother of Claudius.

During the reign of Augustus, Germanicus enjoyed an accelerated political career. He entered the office of quaestor five years before the legal age in AD 7. He held that office until AD 9 where he was made praetor. He was elected consul for the first time in AD 12. The year after, he was made proconsul of Germania Inferior, Germania Superior, and all of Gaul. He commanded eight legions, one-third of the entire Roman army at the time. Germanicus avenged the Roman Empire's defeat in the Teutoburg Forest and retrieved two of the three legionary eagles that had been lost. In AD 17, he returned to Rome, where he received a triumph.

When Augustus' chosen successor, grandson Gaius Caesar, unexpectedly died in AD 4, he considered Germanicus as his heir. His wife Livia persuaded him to choose his stepson Tiberius instead. Many historians wonder what glory might have followed Germanicus and Rome had it not been for the machinations of Livia to put her offspring on the throne.

While in the eastern provinces, Germanicus came into conflict with the governor of Syria, Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso. Piso was a high ranking Roman aristocrat and senator. He opposed the First Triumvirate, and later Julius Caesar. He fought against Caesar in the Great Roman Civil War and against his adopted son, Octavian, in the War of the Second Triumvirate; both times finding himself on the losing side. During their feud, Germanicus became ill in Antioch and died on 10 October AD 19. His death has been attributed to poison by ancient sources, but it was never proven.

Roman silver coin hoard found in Devon

The silver coins were 96 denarii and one drachm. The six copper alloy comprised four sestertii and two dupondii. The find has been officially declared treasure.

Caracalla, AD 198-217. Silver Denarius 3.20g Rome mint, struck 209 AD.

Two metal detectorists found the hoard on pasture land at North Huish near South Brent in Devon. They uncovered 97 silver coins and six copper alloy coins a few inches below the surface. The coins span more than 200 years, from 32BC to the joint rule of Septimius Severus and Caracalla in the early 3rd Century. Experts say the hoard was probably buried after AD205.

Salt Mining

Salt, NaCl (sodium chloride), is an ionic compound made of sodium and chloride ions. All life depends on its chemical properties to survive. It has been used by humans for thousands of years, from food preservation to seasoning. Salt's ability to preserve food was a founding contributor to the development of civilization.

Prior to industrialization, it was expensive, dangerous, and labor intensive to harvest the mass quantities of salt needed for food preservation and seasoning. This made salt an extremely valuable commodity in ancient times. Entire economies were based solely on salt production and trade. Salt was a highly valued trade item, and was considered a form of trade currency.

Ancient method of boiling brine into pure salt in China.

In the Iron Age, the British evaporated salt by boiling seawater or brine from salt spri­ngs in small clay pots over open fires. Roman salt-making entailed boiling seawater in lead-lined pans. In ancient Rome, salt on the table was a mark of a very rich patron; those who sat nearer the host were "above the salt," and those less favored were "below the salt".

The oldest salt mine known in Azerbaijan.

Ancient Roman Glass Salt Dishes

Roman prisoners were given the task of salt mining, and life expectancy was low. Rapid dehydration caused by constant contact with the salt and accidental excessive sodium intake was fatal. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder stated in his Natural History's discussion of sea water, that "[I]n Rome ... the soldier's pay was originally salt and the word 'salary' derives from it ..."

Roman salt pans in Hortales.

The oldest of the salt men found has been carbon dated to 9550 B.C.

While bulldozing salt from the Chehrabad Salt Mine, Iranian miners uncovered the sixth "salt man" to be found in the last fifteen years. These "salt men" are ancient corpses killed or crushed in the cave and mummified by the extreme conditions. Hair, flesh and bone are all preserved by the dry salinity of the cave, and even internal organs such as stomachs and colons have been found intact. The first salt mummy, dated to 300 A.D., was discovered in 1993, sporting a long white beard, iron knives and a single gold earring. In 2004 another mummy was discovered only 50 feet away, followed by another in 2005 and a "teenage" boy mummy later that year.

Herefordshire hoard

The Herefordshire hoard, found near Leominster, Herefordshire in June 2015, originally contained about 300 coins, of which 31 were recovered along with a silver ingot, a rock-crystal pendant mounted in gold wire, a gold bracelet, and a gold finger ring. The missing 270 coins were estimated to have a total value of £2.4m. The hoard was buried in the late 9th century. The rock-crystal pendant is thought to be 5th or 6th century.

The two metal detectorists who unearthed a hoard of gold jewellery, silver ingots and coins buried more than 1,000 years ago by a Viking warrior in Herefordshire received lengthy jail sentences for theft in late 2019.

George Powell, 38, and Layton Davies, 51, should have legally declared the find, worth millions. They elected to steal it and sell it off. They received 10 years and 8.5 years respectively. The judge said they had cheated not only the landowner, but also the public of “exceptionally rare and significant” coins. “You cheated the farmer, his mother, the landowner and also the public when you committed theft of these items,” he said. “That is because the treasure belongs to the nation. The benefit to the nation is these items can be seen and admired by others."

Jewellery dated from the fifth to ninth centuries.

All the jewellery and one ingot was recovered but the majority of the 300 Anglo-Saxon coins are gone forever. One lost coin was “Two Emperors”, believed to depict King Alfred the Great of Wessex and Ceolwulf II of Mercia, revealing a previously unknown pact between the pair. After rumours began to circulate about the find, the gold and one ingot was handed over, but police recovered few of the coins.

The Griffin

The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. The lion was considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, so the griffin was thought of as king of all creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure. There is evidence of representations of griffins in ancient Iranian and ancient Egyptian art dating to before 3000 BC.

Romans often associated the mythical creatures with the sun god Apollo, giving the Griffin an air of power and dominance. A Griffin is 'as fiery as the Sun,' and was a creature to be feared and given respect. In Medieval Europe, the Griffin became a Christian symbol for the Church's ideals on marriage. According to legend, Griffins mated for life and in the event of the death of a partner, the surviving griffin would never seek another mate. The creature was also used to symbolize Jesus. The griffin's association with Christianity meant they became protectors of the dead.

In the eastern world, a part-man, part-bird creature, the Garuda, served as a mount for the Hindu god Vishnu. The griffin has been part of human culture since ancient times and persists today, as seen in various school emblems, mascots, and popular literature and movies.

Ancient coins on a budget

Lockdales’ auction sold a silver denarius of Septimius Severus. It was minted in Rome in AD 210. It changed hands for just £140. Severus was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. Arriving in Britain in 208, he invaded Caledonia (modern Scotland) with an army of 50,000 men, strengthening Hadrian’s Wall and reoccupying the Antonine Wall. His ambitions were cut short when he fell ill in late 210. He died in early 211 at Eboracum (York), and was succeeded by his sons.

There is a vast range of Roman coins at all price levels. If you want to collect examples that circulated from the first century to the second century AD, you will need to find two gold coins, an aureus and a quinarius aureus, two silver coins, the denarius and the quinarius argenteus, and five bronze coins: the sestertius, the dupondius, the as, the semis and the quadrans. Rare gold coins will be the most expensive. Bronze coins far less so.

Rome's news readers

In the Roman Republic and Empire, the newsreader (praeco) would read aloud the Acta Diurna. These were daily, official notices and public records. They were carved on stone or metal and presented in message boards in public places. The Acta Diurna (Latin for "Daily Acts") was essentially the world's first newspaper. Initiated by Julius Caesar in 59 BC, criers would read these updates on military victories, legal proceedings, and public events to the illiterate or gathered public.

The publication covered a wide range of official and social information. Decrees, legal proceedings, and outcomes of trials were advertised. Social updates included prominent births, marriages, and deaths. General news might include gladiator event results, military victories, weather, and even human-interest stories. After a few days, the postings were taken down and archived.

Roman grave marker found in New Orleans yard explained

The Roman grave marker found in the back yard of a New Orleans home was inherited and left there by the granddaughter of a US soldier who fought in Italy during the second world war. The headstone dedicated to circa second-century Roman sailor Sextus Congenius Verus had been stolen from the city museum of Civitavecchia, Italy. Erin Scott O’Brien told local media outlets that her grandfather, Charles Paddock Jr, kept the artifact in a display case at his home in New Orleans until his death in 1986.

"To the Spirits of the Dead [Dis Manibus] for Sextus Congenius Verus, soldier of the praetorian fleet Misenensis, from the tribe of the Bessi [of Thrace]" "(who) lived 42 years (and) served 22 in the military, on the trireme [warship] Asclepius" "Atilius Carus and Vettius Longinus, his heirs, made (this) for him well deserving"

The Classis Misenensis (Fleet of Misenum) was the senior and most important imperial Roman navy fleet, established by Augustus in 27 BC to protect the Western Mediterranean and act as a central naval reserve. Based at Portus Julius near Misenum, it served the emperor directly, maintaining security and conducting transport duties.

Rome's Port of Ostia (Portus Augusti) was officially inaugurated in 64 AD. Nero's famous bronze sestertius marks the event.

A second-century Roman sailor was typically a non-citizen auxiliary serving in the Classis (Roman Imperial Navy). Often recruited from coastal provinces, they were professional mariners and soldiers. Although paid less than legionaries, they received similar rations. Sailors spent their time ferrying officials, escorting grain fleets (annona), suppressing pirates, and performing routine maintenance on vessels. They served up to 26 years before earning full Roman citizenship.

The Pylos Combat Agate

Archaeologists excavating an ancient grave at Pylos in southwestern Greece in 2016 found a seal stone, a gemstone engraved with a design that can be stamped on clay or wax. The seal stone’s image is a striking depiction of one warrior in battle with two others. It is carved in fine detail. The seal stone’s owner, known as the Griffin Warrior, was buried around 1450 B.C. He lived at a time when the Minoan civilization of Crete was being transferred to cities of the Greek mainland. The sealstone is one of the finest works of prehistoric Greek art ever discovered. The tomb also revealed more than 3,000 objects arrayed on and around the warrior’s body.

Grave goods included four solid gold rings, silver cups, precious stone beads, fine-toothed ivory combs and an intricate sword, among other weapons.

See ---->Grave of ‘Griffin Warrior’ at Pylos

Tyrian Purple

The ultimate status symbol in ancient Rome was a set of robes died Tyrian purple. This colour, named for Tyre, its place of origin, was made from the Hexaplex trunculus snail. It took 13,000 snails to produce just 28 ml of dye, enough for the trim on one garment. In Republican Rome only the wealthiest men, the elite equites, were allowed to wear it. In Imperial Rome it was restricted to just the Emperor, as a symbol of his power.

In 40 AD, the king of Mauretania was killed in Rome on orders of Caligula. Despite being a friend to the Romans he caused a grave offence when he strode into an amphitheatre to watch gladiatorial games wearing a purple robe. Archaeological data from Tyre indicate that the snails were collected in large vats and left to decompose. This produced a hideous stench. Little is known about the mass production of the most highly prized "blackish clotted blood" colour. It may have been achieved by double-dipping the cloth, once in the indigo dye of H. trunculus and again in the purple-red dye of B. brandaris.

Tyrian purple may first have been used by the ancient Phoenicians as early as 1570 BC. The dye was greatly prized in antiquity because the colour didn't easily fade, but instead became brighter with weathering and sunlight. Its importance was such that the name Phoenicia means 'land of purple.' It came in various shades, the most prized being that of "blackish clotted blood". True Tyrian purple, like most high-chroma pigments, cannot be accurately displayed on a computer display.

A Tunisian man has pieced together a secret linked to ancient emperors: how to make a prized purple dye using the guts of a sea snail. No historical documents clearly detail the production methods used. Production of the dye was among the main sources of wealth for the ancient Phoenicians, and then for the Carthaginian and Roman empires. Whole economies depended upon it's production. Even today the dye can cost $2,800 per gram from some European traders, and prices can reach up to $4,000. To obtain one gram of pure purple dye, 100 kg of the ill smelling murex need to be shelled.