The Imperial Age coinage follows the Augustan age value up to the beginning of the III century: this model provided the Emperor’s portrait on the obverse and several different models on the reverse. In addition, other members of the Emperor’s family, his sons or wives are honoured with their portrait on certain coinages.

During the Barrack Emperors phase, a new kind of coinage gains importance: the Antoninianus. It was realised with a copper and silver alloy (nn. 41-45) and it showed the souvereign represented as the Sun with the typical crown with seven rays, though in the IV century AC, the coins tend to become produced with pure copper, without he silver part (nn. 46 – 48). The collection shows also two Byzantine pieces (nn. 49 – 50).

  • Vespasian’s As (n.23): on the obverse, the portrait of the Emperor, on the reverse the Victoria deity on the bow of a ship holding a palm branch with a crown
  • Probus’Antoninianus (n.44): on the obverse, the armoured Emperor with the radiant crown, on the reverse the Germanic prisoners under a weapons trophy
  • Faustina II’s As/Dupondius (n. 33): on the obverse, the portrait of the Empress, on the reverse the deity Driana with an arrow and an arc