The List of Roman Emperors Through Coinage: A Chronological Guide

This detailed guide explores the list of Roman emperors from Augustus to Romulus Augustulus, as depicted on their coins. It includes the dates of their reigns, coin legends, mint locations, and highlights the rarest coins in Roman history.

Discover the fascinating history and rarity of coins from emperors like Otho, Didius Julianus, and Gordian I & II, whose brief reigns make their coinage highly valuable to collectors and historians alike.

The list below it will help you with legends to read the coins in case is any letter is missing:

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Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 BCE – 68 CE)

1. Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE)

Legend: CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE

Mint: Rome, Lugdunum (modern Lyon).

2. Tiberius (14 – 37 CE)

Legend: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS

Mint: Lugdunum.

3. Caligula (37 – 41 CE) – Rare

Legend: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT

Mint: Rome, Lugdunum.

4. Claudius (41 – 54 CE)

Legend: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP

Mint: Rome, Lugdunum.

5. Nero (54 – 68 CE)

Legend: NERO CAESAR AVG IMP

Mint: Rome, Lugdunum.

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Year of the Four Emperors (68 – 69 CE)

6. Galba (68 – 69 CE)

Legend: SER GALBA IMP CAESAR AVG

Mint: Tarraco (Spain), Rome.

7. Otho (69 CE) – Extremely rare

Legend: IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG

Mint: Rome.

8. Vitellius (69 CE)

Legend: A VITELLIVS GERMANICVS IMP AVG

Mint: Rome, Lugdunum.

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Flavian Dynasty (69 – 96 CE)

9. Vespasian (69 – 79 CE)

Legend: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG

Mint: Rome, Ephesus, Antioch.

10. Titus (79 – 81 CE) – Rare

Legend: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG

Mint: Rome.

11. Domitian (81 – 96 CE)

Legend: IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG

Mint: Rome.

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Nerva–Antonine Dynasty (96 – 192 CE)

12. Nerva (96 – 98 CE) – Rare

Legend: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P COS III P P

Mint: Rome.

13. Trajan (98 – 117 CE)

Legend: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P

Mint: Rome, Antioch.

14. Hadrian (117 – 138 CE)

Legend: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG

Mint: Rome, Alexandria.

15. Antoninus Pius (138 – 161 CE)

Legend: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III

Mint: Rome.

16. Lucius Verus (161 – 169 CE)

Legend: IMP L AVREL VERVS AVG

Mint: Rome.

17. Marcus Aurelius (161 – 180 CE)

Legend: M ANTONINVS AVG TR P

Mint: Rome.

18. Commodus (180 – 192 CE)

Legend: L AVREL COMMODVS AVG

Mint: Rome.

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Year of the Five Emperors (193 CE)

19. Pertinax (January – March 193 CE) – Rare

Legend: IMP CAES P HELV PERTINAX AVG

Mint: Rome.

20. Didius Julianus (March – June 193 CE) – Extremely rare

Legend: IMP CAES M DID IVLIAN AVG

Mint: Rome.

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Severan Dynasty (193 – 235 CE)

21. Septimius Severus (193 – 211 CE)

Legend: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP

Mint: Rome, Laodicea, Alexandria.

22. Caracalla (211 – 217 CE)

Legend: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG

Mint: Rome, Antioch.

23. Geta (209 – 211 CE) – Rare

Legend: P SEPT GETA CAES PONT

Mint: Rome.

24. Macrinus (217 – 218 CE) – Rare

Legend: IMP CAES M OPEL SEV MACRINVS AVG

Mint: Antioch.

25. Diadumenian (217 – 218 CE) – Extremely rare

Legend: M OPEL ANT DIADVMENIAN CAES

Mint: Antioch.

26. Elagabalus (218 – 222 CE)

Legend: IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG

Mint: Rome, Antioch.

27. Alexander Severus (222 – 235 CE)

Legend: IMP CAES M AUR SEV ALEXAND AVG

Mint: Rome.

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Crisis of the Third Century (235 – 284 CE)

28. Maximinus Thrax (235 – 238 CE) – Rare

Legend: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG

Mint: Rome.

29. Gordian I (March – April 238 CE) – Ultra-rare

Legend: IMP CAES GORDIANVS AFR AVG

Mint: Rome or provincial mints.

30. Gordian II (March – April 238 CE) – Ultra-rare

Legend: IMP CAES GORDIANVS AVG

Mint: Rome or provincial mints.

31. Pupienus (April – July 238 CE) – Rare

Legend: IMP CAES PUPIENVS MAXIMVS AVG

Mint: Rome.

32. Balbinus (April – July 238 CE) – Rare

Legend: IMP CAES BALBINVS AVG

Mint: Rome.

33. Gordian III (238 – 244 CE)

Legend: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG

Mint: Rome.

34. Philip I (Arab) (244 – 249 CE)

Legend: IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG

Mint: Rome, Antioch.

35. Philip II (244 – 249 CE)

Legend: M IVL PHILIPPVS NOB C

Mint: Rome.

36. Decius (249 – 251 CE)

Legend: IMP CAES C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG

Mint: Rome.

37. Herennius Etruscus (251 CE) – Rare

Legend: Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C

Mint: Rome.

38. Hostilian (251 CE) – Rare

Legend: C VALENS HOSTIL MES QVINTVS

Mint: Rome.

39. Trebonianus Gallus (251 – 253 CE)

Legend: IMP CAES C VIBIVS TREBONIANVS GALLVS AVG

Mint: Rome.

40. Aemilian (253 CE) – Rare

Legend: IMP AEMILIANVS PIVS FEL AVG

Mint: Rome.

41. Valerian I (253 – 260 CE)

Legend: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG

Mint: Rome, Antioch.

42. Gallienus (253 – 268 CE)

Legend: IMP GALLIENVS AVG

Mint: Rome, Mediolanum.

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Dominate Period (284 – 476 CE)

Diocletian (284 – 305 CE)

Legend: IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG

Mint: Various, including Nicomedia, Trier.

Constantine I (The Great) (306 – 337 CE)

Legend: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG

Mint: Trier, Rome, Constantinople.

Romulus Augustulus (475 – 476 CE) – Rare

Legend: DN ROMVLVS AVG

Mint: Rome, Ravenna.

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Rarest Coins in Chronological Order

1. Otho (69 CE) – Extremely rare due to his short reign.
2. Didius Julianus (193 CE) – Extremely rare, short reign.
3. Gordian I & II (238 CE) – Ultra-rare, very brief reigns.
4. Diadumenian (217 – 218 CE) – Extremely rare, co-emperor.
5. Romulus Augustulus (475 – 476 CE) – Rare, last Western Roman emperor.

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