US DOLLAR
EURO
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR
CANADIAN DOLLAR
POUND STERLING
Product Description
This genuine Roman Imperial bronze As ancient coin was minted by Emperor Gaius (Caligula) from 37 - 41 AD, in Rome. It posthumously honors military commander and statesman Marcus Agrippa, Caligula's maternal grandfather. The obverse shows the head of Agrippa wearing a rostral crown, facing left. The reverse shows the god Neptune standing and holding a small dolphin and trident. RIC I 58 (Gaius). Reddish brown patina with touches of green, smoothing. Very Fine.
HISTORY
The 200 years that began with Augustus's rule are traditionally regarded as the Pax Romana ("Roman Peace"). The cohesion of the empire was furthered by a degree of social stability and economic prosperity that Rome had never before experienced. Uprisings in the provinces were infrequent and put down "mercilessly and swiftly". The success of Augustus in establishing principles of dynastic succession was limited by his outliving a number of talented potential heirs. The Julio-Claudian dynasty lasted for four more emperors—Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero—before it yielded in 69 AD to the strife-torn Year of the Four Emperors, from which Vespasian emerged as the victor. Vespasian became the founder of the brief Flavian dynasty, followed by the Nerva–Antonine dynasty which produced the "Five Good Emperors": Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius.
The Roman Empire was a unique association of peoples and places such as the Mediterranean World had never seen before. What had been a patchwork of Hellenistic monarchies, independent city-states, and Celtic tribes was miraculously united into one great political entity. At its peak rule, the Roman Empire stretched from Spain to Syria and England to Egypt. Our modern world today benefits much from a host of technological innovations first given to us by the ancient Romans. From simple inventions such as blown glass and underground sewer systems to major concepts in engineering and the Roman calendar.