Roman Silver Coin of Empress Plautilla (about 1,815-1,820 years ago)
I'll continue with the detailed numismatic descriptions for these additional Roman coins using the same format with shortened historical significance sections.
Vespasian Silver Denarius
Roman Silver Coin of Emperor Vespasian (about 1,950-1,960 years ago)
This silver denarius was issued under Emperor Vespasian, the battle-hardened general who established the Flavian dynasty after emerging victorious from the chaotic Year of Four Emperors. After decades of successful military service, Vespasian brought much-needed stability to Rome following Nero's suicide and the brief civil war that followed, implementing practical reforms and undertaking ambitious building projects that transformed the imperial capital.
Coin Description:
Front side: Portrait of Emperor Vespasian facing right, typically laureate (wearing a laurel wreath), with Latin inscription giving his name and titles
Back side: May feature various Roman deities, personifications of virtues, or symbols of peace and prosperity that Vespasian wished to emphasize after the recent civil wars
Technical Details:
Silver composition
Denomination: Denarius
NGC certified in protective slab
Minted between 69-79 AD
Condition as certified by NGC
Historical Significance: Vespasian's rise to power marked a crucial turning point in Roman history, restoring stability after the turbulent end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. A career military commander of humble origins, he had distinguished himself in Britain and during the First Jewish-Roman War before seizing power in 69 AD. As emperor, he focused on practical governance—reorganizing finances, strengthening the frontiers, and initiating major building projects including the Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater). His pragmatic approach extended to his personal life; when criticized for taxing public urinals, he reportedly held up a coin and noted "money doesn't stink," a saying that lives on in his legacy, along with the linguistic vestige of his name for public toilets in several Romance languages (vespasiano in Italian, vespasienne in French).
Plautilla Antoninianus
Roman Silver Coin of Empress Plautilla (about 1,815-1,820 years ago)
This silver-washed antoninianus portrays Plautilla, a young Roman noblewoman whose brief marriage to Emperor Caracalla ended in tragedy. Daughter of the powerful Praetorian Prefect Plautianus, her arranged imperial marriage was meant to cement her father's influence but instead led to exile and execution when family political intrigues collapsed, demonstrating the precarious position of women used as pawns in imperial power struggles.
Coin Description:
Front side: Portrait of Empress Plautilla facing right, typically showing her with an elaborate early 3rd-century hairstyle, with Latin inscription giving her name and titles
Back side: Likely depicts a female deity such as Venus, Diana, or Concordia (Harmony), or personifications like Pietas (Piety) or Venus Felix (Lucky Venus), with accompanying Latin text
Technical Details:
Silver-washed bronze composition (antoniniani of this period contained minimal silver)
Denomination: Antoninianus (valued at two denarii)
NGC certified in protective slab
Minted around 202-205 AD
Condition as certified by NGC
Historical Significance: Plautilla's brief life illustrates how imperial women could become casualties of court politics. As daughter of Plautianus, the ambitious Praetorian Prefect under Emperor Septimius Severus, she was married to Caracalla in 202 AD to strengthen her father's position. The match proved disastrous—Caracalla reportedly detested both his wife and father-in-law. When Plautianus was accused of plotting against the imperial family in 205 AD, he was executed, and the teenage Plautilla was banished to Sicily. After Caracalla became sole emperor following his father's death, he ordered her execution by strangulation in 212 AD, effectively erasing her from official history. These coins remain as one of the few tangible reminders of her existence, preserving the image of a young woman caught in fatal political machinations beyond her control.
I'll continue with the detailed numismatic descriptions for these additional Roman coins using the same format with shortened historical significance sections.
Vespasian Silver Denarius
Roman Silver Coin of Emperor Vespasian (about 1,950-1,960 years ago)
This silver denarius was issued under Emperor Vespasian, the battle-hardened general who established the Flavian dynasty after emerging victorious from the chaotic Year of Four Emperors. After decades of successful military service, Vespasian brought much-needed stability to Rome following Nero's suicide and the brief civil war that followed, implementing practical reforms and undertaking ambitious building projects that transformed the imperial capital.
Coin Description:
Front side: Portrait of Emperor Vespasian facing right, typically laureate (wearing a laurel wreath), with Latin inscription giving his name and titles
Back side: May feature various Roman deities, personifications of virtues, or symbols of peace and prosperity that Vespasian wished to emphasize after the recent civil wars
Technical Details:
Silver composition
Denomination: Denarius
NGC certified in protective slab
Minted between 69-79 AD
Condition as certified by NGC
Historical Significance: Vespasian's rise to power marked a crucial turning point in Roman history, restoring stability after the turbulent end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. A career military commander of humble origins, he had distinguished himself in Britain and during the First Jewish-Roman War before seizing power in 69 AD. As emperor, he focused on practical governance—reorganizing finances, strengthening the frontiers, and initiating major building projects including the Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater). His pragmatic approach extended to his personal life; when criticized for taxing public urinals, he reportedly held up a coin and noted "money doesn't stink," a saying that lives on in his legacy, along with the linguistic vestige of his name for public toilets in several Romance languages (vespasiano in Italian, vespasienne in French).
Plautilla Antoninianus
Roman Silver Coin of Empress Plautilla (about 1,815-1,820 years ago)
This silver-washed antoninianus portrays Plautilla, a young Roman noblewoman whose brief marriage to Emperor Caracalla ended in tragedy. Daughter of the powerful Praetorian Prefect Plautianus, her arranged imperial marriage was meant to cement her father's influence but instead led to exile and execution when family political intrigues collapsed, demonstrating the precarious position of women used as pawns in imperial power struggles.
Coin Description:
Front side: Portrait of Empress Plautilla facing right, typically showing her with an elaborate early 3rd-century hairstyle, with Latin inscription giving her name and titles
Back side: Likely depicts a female deity such as Venus, Diana, or Concordia (Harmony), or personifications like Pietas (Piety) or Venus Felix (Lucky Venus), with accompanying Latin text
Technical Details:
Silver-washed bronze composition (antoniniani of this period contained minimal silver)
Denomination: Antoninianus (valued at two denarii)
NGC certified in protective slab
Minted around 202-205 AD
Condition as certified by NGC
Historical Significance: Plautilla's brief life illustrates how imperial women could become casualties of court politics. As daughter of Plautianus, the ambitious Praetorian Prefect under Emperor Septimius Severus, she was married to Caracalla in 202 AD to strengthen her father's position. The match proved disastrous—Caracalla reportedly detested both his wife and father-in-law. When Plautianus was accused of plotting against the imperial family in 205 AD, he was executed, and the teenage Plautilla was banished to Sicily. After Caracalla became sole emperor following his father's death, he ordered her execution by strangulation in 212 AD, effectively erasing her from official history. These coins remain as one of the few tangible reminders of her existence, preserving the image of a young woman caught in fatal political machinations beyond her control.
I'll continue with the detailed numismatic descriptions for these additional Roman coins using the same format with shortened historical significance sections.
Vespasian Silver Denarius
Roman Silver Coin of Emperor Vespasian (about 1,950-1,960 years ago)
This silver denarius was issued under Emperor Vespasian, the battle-hardened general who established the Flavian dynasty after emerging victorious from the chaotic Year of Four Emperors. After decades of successful military service, Vespasian brought much-needed stability to Rome following Nero's suicide and the brief civil war that followed, implementing practical reforms and undertaking ambitious building projects that transformed the imperial capital.
Coin Description:
Front side: Portrait of Emperor Vespasian facing right, typically laureate (wearing a laurel wreath), with Latin inscription giving his name and titles
Back side: May feature various Roman deities, personifications of virtues, or symbols of peace and prosperity that Vespasian wished to emphasize after the recent civil wars
Technical Details:
Silver composition
Denomination: Denarius
NGC certified in protective slab
Minted between 69-79 AD
Condition as certified by NGC
Historical Significance: Vespasian's rise to power marked a crucial turning point in Roman history, restoring stability after the turbulent end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. A career military commander of humble origins, he had distinguished himself in Britain and during the First Jewish-Roman War before seizing power in 69 AD. As emperor, he focused on practical governance—reorganizing finances, strengthening the frontiers, and initiating major building projects including the Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater). His pragmatic approach extended to his personal life; when criticized for taxing public urinals, he reportedly held up a coin and noted "money doesn't stink," a saying that lives on in his legacy, along with the linguistic vestige of his name for public toilets in several Romance languages (vespasiano in Italian, vespasienne in French).
Plautilla Antoninianus
Roman Silver Coin of Empress Plautilla (about 1,815-1,820 years ago)
This silver-washed antoninianus portrays Plautilla, a young Roman noblewoman whose brief marriage to Emperor Caracalla ended in tragedy. Daughter of the powerful Praetorian Prefect Plautianus, her arranged imperial marriage was meant to cement her father's influence but instead led to exile and execution when family political intrigues collapsed, demonstrating the precarious position of women used as pawns in imperial power struggles.
Coin Description:
Front side: Portrait of Empress Plautilla facing right, typically showing her with an elaborate early 3rd-century hairstyle, with Latin inscription giving her name and titles
Back side: Likely depicts a female deity such as Venus, Diana, or Concordia (Harmony), or personifications like Pietas (Piety) or Venus Felix (Lucky Venus), with accompanying Latin text
Technical Details:
Silver-washed bronze composition (antoniniani of this period contained minimal silver)
Denomination: Antoninianus (valued at two denarii)
NGC certified in protective slab
Minted around 202-205 AD
Condition as certified by NGC
Historical Significance: Plautilla's brief life illustrates how imperial women could become casualties of court politics. As daughter of Plautianus, the ambitious Praetorian Prefect under Emperor Septimius Severus, she was married to Caracalla in 202 AD to strengthen her father's position. The match proved disastrous—Caracalla reportedly detested both his wife and father-in-law. When Plautianus was accused of plotting against the imperial family in 205 AD, he was executed, and the teenage Plautilla was banished to Sicily. After Caracalla became sole emperor following his father's death, he ordered her execution by strangulation in 212 AD, effectively erasing her from official history. These coins remain as one of the few tangible reminders of her existence, preserving the image of a young woman caught in fatal political machinations beyond her control.
