Domitian and Domitia

On September 14, 81 AD Domitian became Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Titus died of a sudden fever, although Domitian is suspected by writers of poisoning him. Domitian was Roman emperor from 81 to 96.

The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus was the last member of the Flavian dynasty. Emperor Domitian and Empress Domitia Longina formed one of the most tumultuous power couples in ancient Rome. Their marriage, political alliance, and Domitian's reign culminated in palace intrigue, betrayal, and death. Aureus features Emperor Domitian on the obverse and his wife, Domitia Longina, on the reverse. It was minted in Rome around 82–83 AD.

Domitia, the daughter of general Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, was forced to divorce her first husband, Lucius Aelius Lamia, to marry Domitian in AD 70. In AD 83, Domitian banished Domitia over an alleged affair with the actor Paris. Domitian soon brought Domitia back to Rome and restored her status as Empress. Domitian grew increasingly paranoid and began executing members of his inner circle. Domitia was tipped off that her own name was on his execution list. To save herself, she is widely believed to have played an active role in the palace conspiracy that resulted in his murder.

Domitian abandoned the republican facade maintained by his father Vespasian and brother Titus, operating more like an absolute monarch and demanding divine honors (dominus et deus). His high-handed methods, extreme paranoia in his later years, and harsh treatment of senators created a severe political rift in Rome.

Domitian was assassinated on September 18, 96 AD, at the age of 44. He was stabbed to death in his palace by a group of court officials, servants, and the Praetorian prefects. The relieved senate rejoiced at his death and immediately subjected him to a damnatio memoriae. He was succeeded the same day by his advisor Nerva. Domitia retired and died around 130 AD at age 77. Domitia. Augusta, AD 82-96. Denarius (silver, 3.57 gm), Rome, 82-83. Estimate CHF 10,000. Sold For CHF 19,500 in 2010. Due to her controversial life and later role in the plot against Domitian, Domitia coins became rare. Surviving coins in good condition are highly valued with most in museums.

Canis Pugnax

The Canis Pugnax, Latin for “fighting dog,” was the living weapon of the Roman legions. A massive and ferocious breed descended from the Molossian hounds of Epirus, they were the same war dogs used by Alexander the Great.

The fierce mastiff-like dogs were used for guarding, hunting, and as combat weapons. They weren't mascots, the dogs were trained as specialized shock troops. They often were outfitted with spiked collars, leather armor, or even chainmail. Released in packs before infantry advances, they charged directly into enemy lines, targeting cavalry horses to unseat their riders. Their role was to sow panic and chaos in the moments before the Roman assault. Roman historians describe them as “braver than lions and more faithful than men”. They offer high praise for their courage, loyalty, and effectiveness. At night the dogs guarded camps. They also tracked deserters. When the Western Roman Empire fell, the breed didn't vanish; its bloodline survived and eventually resurfaced centuries later in modern Italian mastiff breeds like the Cane Corso and Neapolitan Mastiff.

Canis Pugnax retain a legacy as Rome’s most loyal and terrifying soldiers. They embodied Roman ideals of virtus (courage) and fides. (loyalty)

Gold of the 12 Caesars

Suetonius' De vita Caesarum, today known as The Twelve Caesars, was composed in the early second century A.D. by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, who focused on the first 12 rulers of Rome. 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 any example, in any condition, is an accomplishment. Gold examples of the 12 Ceasars typically range from $3,000 to over $250,000+ USD per coin depending heavily on the specific emperor, grade, rarity, and certification. The most common is Nero.

Aureus struck at a military mint, c.43 B.C. bears the portraits of Julius Caesar and Octavian (Augustus). 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. Nero struck a massive volume of gold coins during his reign.

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.

Marcus Licinius Crassus

In 53 BC, the richest man in Rome led an army of around 40,000 men into the desert to conquer Parthia. Within days, most of them were dead or captured, his son's head was on a spear, and a legend would later claim the Parthians poured molten gold down his throat. Eager for glory, Crassus ignored advice many times before the battle of Carrhae. His invading force of seven legions of Roman heavy infantry was lured into the desert. Waiting near the town of Carrhae was Surena, a young Parthian noble who showed up with a force of around 10,000 mounted archers and about 1,000 cataphracts, heavy cavalry. He also brought something Crassus never imagined. A camel train loaded with arrows. The Romans formed a giant square, locked shields and waited for the enemy to run out of arrows. They didn't. Every time the archers emptied their quivers, they rode back to the camels to reload and came back full. Men were pinned to the ground through their feet. Hands were nailed to shields. Crassus sent his son Publius with cavalry and infantry to break out. The Parthians fled. Publius chased a feigned retreat. Once he was far enough from the main army, the Parthians turned and surrounded him. The Parthians rode back past the Roman square with Publius's head on a spear.

That night the army abandoned around 4,000 wounded men and slipped away to Carrhae. The Parthians killed the wounded the next morning. Surena offered to talk. Crassus didn't trust him, but his exhausted soldiers threatened him until he agreed to go.

At the meeting, a fight broke out and Crassus was killed. Around 20,000 Romans died and another 10,000 were taken prisoner. Plutarch says Crassus's head was used as a prop in a performance of a Greek tragedy at the Parthian court. The molten gold poured down his throat story comes later, from Cassius Dio, and he reports it as something that was said. It stuck. The only coins attributed to Marcus Licinius Crassus are Syrian tetradrachms, and some Syrian bronzes dated to the 12th and 13th years of the Pompeian era.

Marcus Aurelius bronze portrait

A magnificent bronze portrait of Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–180), discovered in 1974 at the Roman auxiliary fort of Lugio (modern Dunaszekcső), on the Danube frontier in Hungary. Dated to AD 161–169, the head is about one and a half times life-size. It ranks among the finest surviving bronze portraits from Roman Pannonia. Cast using the lost-wax technique, probably in a workshop in Italy or the eastern provinces, the portrait depicts the emperor in his forties. The head was found in a small brick building, possibly a military shrine, and originally belonged to a larger imperial statue.This gold aureus was struck in Rome around 177. It sold for $25,200 in 2023.

Louis the Pious counterfeit solidus valuable

This counterfeit solidus of Louis the Pious (814–840), was discovered in Norfolk in 2024. The imitation was based on a very rare original coin minted by Louis the Pious in about 816. A similar fake coin sold for £36,000 ($48,627) in 2024. 22 imitation solidi have been found in the U.K. Probably minted by Vikings, the fakes chart the route of the Viking Great Army.

The Vikings traversed rivers and Roman-era roads to cross England as they gained control of East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria by 880. Louis the Pious succeeded his father, Charlemagne, as sole Holy Roman emperor in 814.

Extremely rare, a genuine high grade example sold for 120,000 euros, or about $141,495, in a 2025 auction. It is the best of the four known. Norfolk was the northern half of East Anglia, a kingdom ruled by the Anglo-Saxon Wulfing or “wolf clan” dynasty. The 'heathen force' of Vikings attacked Norfolk in 865. Edmund, the final king of East Anglia, was killed by the Vikings in 869.

The St Albans Hoard

In October 2012, a novice treasure hunter who bought a basic metal detector returned to the shop in Hertfordshire weeks later, clutching part of England's finest ever hoard of late Roman gold coins. Wesley Carrington took his new metal detector out into a field near St. Albans and struck ancient gold. He showed stunned staff at the store 40 gold solidi, before asking: 'What do I do with this?' They contacted local experts and together got the permits they needed, headed back to the scene and found another 119 coins. The find of such a large hoard of solidi is very rare, as the coins were not in regular circulation due to their extremely high value.

The man had bought a Garrett Ace 150, retailing at around £135 and described as "the ideal metal detector for parent-child expeditions or for adults interested in exploring a potential hobby". After finding an old spoon and then a half penny, Carrington's machine beeped again. He dug seven inches down to uncover a gold coin with a Roman figure on it. Others followed.

The hoard is a nationally significant find. The coins are a rare example of the solidus, dating from the last days of Roman rule in Britain. The last consignments of them reached UK shores in 408 AD. St Albans was the site of the Roman town of Verulamium.

The coins were bought by the local council for £98,500 in 2015 and are now on display at the Verulamium Museum.

As rich as Croesus

The phrase "rich as Croesus" is a famous idiom that describes someone who is extremely wealthy. It refers to the legendary King Croesus of Lydia, who was known for his immense wealth and extravagant lifestyle. His wealth came from the River Pactolus in which the King Midas washed his hands to rid himself of the 'Midas Touch'. Croesus is credited with issuing the first true gold and silver coins with a standardized purity for general circulation.

Lydia was a hugely rich and powerful state when Kroisos became king about 561 BCE. According to Herodotus, Kroisos donated 4.5 tons of gold for construction of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. The Latin form of Kroisos’ name is used today. Kroisos inherited a coinage system based upon the use of electrum. The most common examples of early Lydian coins are electrum trites (one-third staters) that weigh about 4.7 grams. The electrum coins were first struck during the reign of Kroisos’ father, Alyattes (c. 618 – 561 BCE). Kroisos continued to strike them during the early years of his own reign.

Kroisos launched his own coinage about 550 BCE by minting nearly pure gold staters and nearly pure silver staters, each weighing around 10.7 grams. The Prototype stater is extremely rare, with about a dozen known. The example shown sold for $150k against a $50k estimate in January 2012.

Kroisos struck gold coins under two different weight standards after the Prototype issue. His first series were “Heavy Standard” weighing about 10.7 g. Kroisos replaced the Heavy Standard gold coins with a series of Light Standard gold coins, based upon a weight of 8.05 g. Silver equivalents are known for each denomination of Kroisos’ gold coinage.

Scholars argue that the gold standard of Croesus was introduced in stages, designed to recall the circulating electrum staters. Once a sufficient number had been recalled, the new light stater appeared. Though the light stater was produced for a longer period than the heavy stater, the light stater is actually the rarer coin. This NGC Gem MS light stater sold in April 2018 for $180k.

See ------ Alyattes of Lydia

Gold Treasure of Nagyszentmiklos

The Gold Treasure of Nagyszentmiklos is the largest known hoard of early medieval gold vessels. The Treasure of Nagyszentmiklos was discovered accidentally in the Banat region of the Habsburg Empire in 1799. Its total weight is about 10 kg.

Remarkable for its quality and precision of craftsmanship, studies over the last few decades have revealed that the treasure was gathered over a long period of time, from the late 7th to the late 8th century AD, and seem to confirm its links to the Avar culture.