Gold of the 12 Caesars

The 12 Caesars gold coins are a set of Roman coins featuring portraits of the first twelve Roman emperors. Known as the “Julio-Claudian and Flavian” emperors, they ruled the empire from 49 BCE to 96 CE. The most sought after and among the most valuable of the Twelve Gold Caesars is that of Julius Caesar. Owning an example, in any condition, is an accomplishment.

Aureus struck at a military mint, c.43 B.C. It bears the portraits of Julius Caesar and Octavian (Augustus). Extremely rare. At least $50k. Julius Caesar AV Aureus. Rome, 45 BC. Draped bust of Victory to right. 7.98g, NGC graded AU★ 5/5 - 5/5 among the finest known examples. 36,000 GBP in 2022.

Aureus of Augustus struck at Lugdunum, c.15–12 B.C. Gold Aureus of Augustus struck around 27 to 18 BC. There are 22 surviving examples of heifer reverse aureus, of which 15 are in museums. The coin made 480,000 Euros in 2019 making it one of the world’s most expensive Roman coins.

Tiberius (A.D. 14–37) struck at Lugdunum. Caligula (A.D. 37–41) Aureus struck at Rome, A.D. 37–38. Caligula's portrait appears with his deceased mother, Agrippina Senior.

Claudius (A.D. 41–54) Aureus struck at Rome, A.D. 46–47. Nero (A.D. 54–68) Aureus struck at Rome, A.D. 62–63.

Galba (A.D. 68–69) Aureus struck at Rome. Otho (A.D. 69) Aureus struck at Rome.

Vitellius (A.D. 69) Aureus struck at Rome. Vespasian (A.D. 69–79) Aureus struck at Rome.

Titus (A.D. 79–81) Aureus struck at Rome, A.D. 75. This coin was struck while Titus was Caesar under his father. Domitian (A.D. 81–96) Aureus struck at Rome, A.D. 76.

The 12 Caesars in silver denarii are much more attainable. Once obtained, collectors usually try to upgrade each coin to the best available. Imperial denarii will be the most expensive, provincial issues will cost less.

Meroë, Kush

Dozens of pyramids stand guard in the silent desert at Meroë, 150 miles north-east of Khartoum. 30m high, Sudan’s tombs were built for the elite of the kingdom of Kush which emerged as a power around the eighth century BC with its capital at Napata (Karima). Dominating the trade route between Egypt and central Africa, Kush grew in wealth and importance. In the early seventh century BC, Qore (King) Taharqa ruled Egypt as well as Nubia (northern Sudan). Later Assyrians drove the Kushites from Egypt, and around 592 BC an Egyptian-sponsored expedition sacked Napata. The capital then transferred south to Meroë where, from around the third century, some 30 kings and eight queens were interred.

Columns etched with carvings rise among the ruins of the vast complex at Musawwarat es Sufra, south of the necropolis. A gold bracelet was looted from the pyramid of Kandake (Queen) Amanishakheto.

The Kushites were expert metalworkers. Kush waned after the third century AD. It was dealt a terminal blow around AD 320–350 when forces of King Aeizanes of Axum (Ethiopia) attacked Meroë.

Amphipolis tomb interior unveiled

The Amphipolis Tomb lies within the Kasta Hill burial mound, 100 km east of Thessaloniki in Greece.

Greek officials have unveiled the interior of a massive ancient tomb possibly linked to Alexander the Great. The excavation centers around the Kasta Tomb in Amphipolis, the ruins of an ancient Macedonian city in northern Greece, about 60 miles northeast of Thessaloniki.

The Lysippus bust of Alexander the Great

Archaeologists have now fully revealed the tumulus enclosure, stretching 497 meters in circumference, while the monument itself covers more than 20 acres (22,000 square meters). Amphipolis is associated with major figures of the Kingdom of Macedon, such as the three generals of Alexander the Great, Nearchus, Hephaestion, and Laomedon. After Alexander’s death, the city’s garrison remained loyal to his mother Olympias and only agreed to surrender the city to Cassander, one of Alexander’s successors, on her orders. Cassander imprisoned Alexander’s wife Roxana and his son Alexander IV in Amphipolis after defeating Olympias in 316 BCE. Olympias was stoned to death in 316 BCE by the relatives of her victims after she surrendered to Cassander. Cassander imprisoned Alexander’s wife Roxana and his son, Alexander IV, in the citadel of Amphipolis. Fearing the legitimate heir would soon come of age, Cassander had them secretly poisoned around 310 BC.

The ancient city of Amphipolis was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, in 357 BC. The tomb was found to contain sculptures of caryatids, an ornate mosaic, and coins featuring Alexander the Great. Evidence suggests the tomb was a memorial dedicated to the friend of Alexander the Great, Hephaestion.

Hephaestion was a Macedonian nobleman that grew up with Alexander, studying with him under the tutelage of Aristotle. They became close friends, as well as comrades. Hephaestion became a member of Alexander’s personal bodyguard and went on to command the Companion cavalry. Hephaestion died suddenly in Ecbatana, Iran, in 324 BC. Alexander ordered a series of monuments to be built for Hephaestion across his empire

The remains of five were found in the burial chamber of the elaborate tomb. A woman over 60 years old, two men between the ages of 35 and 45, a newborn infant, and a set of cremated remains. Speculation is that the woman is Alexander the Great’s mother, Olympias, who died when she was about 60 years old.

According to legend Hephaestion was cremated.

Caligae

Roman caligae were the heavy-soled, hobnailed military sandal-boots famously worn by legionary soldiers and auxiliaries throughout the Roman Republic and Empire. Their durable design allowed soldiers to march long distances in diverse climates without blistering or overheating. Dozens of iron nails were hammered through the sole. The iron hobnails drastically reduced wear and provided excellent traction on soft, slippery, or uneven ground.

The nails acted like cleats on rough, muddy, or sandy terrain and provided an offensive advantage in close-quarters combat. Roman soldiers were called caligati. ("booted ones") Emperor Caligula got his famous nickname "Little Boot" because his parents dressed him in miniature soldier's armor including caligae as a toddler. The distinctive clattering and crunching sound of thousands of hobnailed sandals marching in unison struck fear into Rome's enemies.

By the late 1st century, the Roman military began transitioning toward enclosed leather boots, known as calcei, which offered better protection in harsh and cold environments.

Ingot find reveals UK’s ancient trade routes

New evidence suggests Britain had trade routes with the rest of the world as far back as the Bronze Age.

Similar ingots, dating from around 1,300 BC, were also found at archaeological sites in Greece and Turkey.

In 2019 researchers have revealed 3000-year-old tin ingots found in Israel actually originated from Devon and Cornwall. Commodities such as tin, amber and glass were highly prized in the ancient world and were the catalysts of international trade routes.

The origin of tin has long been an enigma in archaeological research. Bronze was used to make weapons, jewellery, and daily objects. Tin ingots are valuable for research because they can accurately point to their exact origin. Around 3,000 BC, ancients began smelting copper with tin in order to create a stronger metal; bronze. The Bronze Age witnessed the development of many innovations. Societies around the world grew faster and more advanced and trade was the reason.

The daric

The Achaemenid Empire ruled over much of the Middle East from 550 to 330 BCE.

Coinage was issued from the mint of Sardis and consisted of the silver siglos and the gold daric. This is the bimetallic monetary standard by the Achaemenid Empire, copied from Croesus. The coins remained basically unchanged for over two hundred years. The daric was a high-purity gold coin of 8.4 grams based on the ancient Babylonian shekel. It was a month’s pay for a mercenary. One daric exchanged for 20 silver sigloi.

When Cyrus the Great (550–530) came to power, coinage was unfamiliar in his realm. Cyrus the Great introduced coins to the Persian Empire after 546 BCE, following his conquest of Lydia and the defeat of its king Croesus, whose father Alyattes had put in place the first bi-metal coinage in history. The staters had a weight of 10.7 grams, a standard initially created by Croesus.

Hoards of the international trade coin have been found from Sicily to Afghanistan. The daric is one of the few coins mentioned in the Old Testament. There are 4 main types of daric. There are few survivors of the type 1 and type 2 coins, making them extremely valuable. The Type 3 daric is by far the most common. Dated from around 485 to 420 BCE, there are several variants. Condition determines value. The rare Type IV daric, dated c. 455-420, shows the king holding a short dagger rather than a spear.

Even more rare and valuable are “double darics” which continued to be struck under Alexander the Great at Babylon for a short time after the fall of the Persian empire. The example shown made $50k in 2015.