| Some Roman Emperors were declared, upon their deaths, to be gods. The pagan pantheon always had room
for the spirit of a fondly remembered Emperor. A few of the more tyrannical rulers declared themselves to be gods while still alive .
By the late third century AD, the status of all Emperors had changed from the 'first citizen' concept of Augustus
to 'god and lord'. Later still, Christian Emperors were considered the earthly representative of God, still 'dominus' if no longer 'deus'.
Among the good Emperors who became gods at death was Marcus Aurelius, last of the 'adoptive' emperors of the second century AD.
Unlike his four predecessors who selected an able man to be the next Emperor, Aurelius named his natural son Commodus to succeed him.
Any good accomplished during the reign of Aurelius was negated by this single error. The rule of the worthless son set the stage for the civil
wars that ravaged Roman civilization for the next century during which time the armies made and deposed Emperors at will.
Let's pretend we are going to a coin show with the desire to add to our collection a denarius of the Roman Emperor Commodus. Of the several we are likely to see offered there we will select one; but which one? Some collectors will always select the coin available in the highest possible condition. Others will select the coin with the finest style portrait. Some will look for a rare type; others for a type with historical significance. A few of us would buy the coin that seems the best bargain. The possibilities seem endless.
Of the Commodus denarii pictured on this page, the one for me is shown in the large photo below. Very few of you will agree with this selection. My choice is the most worn, the worst centered, fully cleaned and shows the least complete legends. No one in their right mind would select this coin but, by now, you might realize that I have a fondness for denarii of the branch mint of Alexandria, Egypt. If you have visited every corner of this site (has anyone?) you have seen Alexandria mint coins of Septimius Severus (another here), Julia Domna, Clodius Albinus and Pertinax. How many of you knew that they also struck for Commodus?
Commodus - Silver denarius - 192 AD - Alexandria mint - Unlisted in standard references
M COMM ANTO - N AVG PIVS BRIT / LIR AVG RM TRP - XVII COS VII PP Libertas
Only recently have coins of this mint for Commodus been recognized. None are listed in RIC for Commodus (nor, for that matter, for Pertinax or Clodius Albinus). Both of the last two issued types at Alexandria that can only be separated from Rome mint coins by style but the one type known for Commodus would require a separate listing in Cohen or Seaby due to the combination of obverse and reverse legends. In 192, the Rome mint used the newly adopted name Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus in place of the previous Marcus Aurelius Commodus. Rome mint coins of the last year read L AEL AVREL COMM but Alexandria used the old name in combination with TRP XVII (sorry - 95% off flan on this specimen) COS VII which dates the coin to 192 AD. Stranger still are the spelling problems on the reverse. All of the several dies that I have seen of this coin share the same errors. 'Libertas' is abbreviated LIR while Pontifex Maximus is RM. After that the correct spelling of Pater Patria (PP) almost seems odd. We have seen before that the Eastern mints had trouble with B and R as well as R and P. The figure shown is Libertas (Freedom) holding a pileus or liberty cap as was given to freed slaves. The same legend was applicable (see below) to Liberalitas (Generosity). At least this short abbreviation avoids the possibility of making the error between the two that we saw when we examined the Syrian denarius of Septimius Severus.
If you were selecting just one coin to represent Commodus in your collection, my Alexandria mint specimen would really be a poor choice. After all each of our collections should be different; each selecting coins that suit our individual desires and interests. That is probably a good thing since, even with the newly found hoard coins increasing the census, these are not (yet?) available in great supply. Perhaps one of the coins below will better serve your purposes. PLEASE remember this page and this entire site is for educational purposes only; NO coin is for sale.
Coins of Commodus present the collector with several considerations if but one is to be selected. Commodus was portrayed on coins as Caesar in 175 AD at age 14. He died on the last day of 192 at age 31. During this time his portraits progressed from a pleasant youth to a deranged man, old beyond his years. Selecting just one coin to represent this entire range is certainly impossible. That may be why I could never be a collector who wants a single coin of each emperor. None of the coins shown on this page is the best possible coin of Commodus but each of them has something that recommends it. Below we will discuss each one mentioning its strengths and weaknesses so you can decide which you would prefer. Opinion is a major player in the game of ancient coins. There simply is no such thing as the best coin. This exercise in looking closely is another of my illustrations that ancient coins are each individuals and need to be examined in detail far beyond what will allow the assignment of a catalog number identification and a two-letter grade. All of these coins are 'special' in some way but none are perfect, mint state gems. The subjects addressed here for Commodus can serve equally well when 'looking closely' at any ancient issues.
 |
COMMODO CAES AVG FIL GERM SARM
SPES PVBLICA |
Earliest of our selections is this coin issued in 175-176 AD when Commodus was Caesar but not yet Augustus. The obverse legend is dative issued on behalf of Commodus rather than by him. The obverse also explains that he is the son of the Augustus (AVGusti FILius). He shares the honor of his father's victories in foreign wars against the GERMans and SARMatians. The portrait bust has a bare head as appropriate for coins of a Caesar; the laurel wreath was reserved for the Augustus. The reverse shows Spes, the hope of the future for Rome personified in the new Caesar. The coin has a pleasant portrait and full legends but is weakly struck on the reverse. Since Commodus was Caesar for a relatively short time, these early coins generally sell for a premium over the more common later varieties. Also adding to the desirability of this coin is the round, even fabric, well centered obverse and portrait of pleasing style.
 |
L AVREL COM - MODVS AVG
TRP IIII IMP III COS II PP |
While Marcus Aurelius lived, Commodus was known as Lucius Aurelius Commodus (the name seen on this coin). Fortuna on the reverse is shown with a rudder for guiding the way of the future, a cornucopia and a wheel under her chair. The portrait, now showing an 18 year old, is not quite as pleasant but is well cut and boldly struck on this specimen. The only real fault of the coin is a bit more wear on the body of Fortuna than collectors might like. As an 'only' coin of Commodus each of these 'younger' varieties shares the same fault. Commodus is famous as a deranged emperor; should our representative coin show a pleasant looking teen? Coins of this period tend to be of better style and better struck than those of the last years of the reign but the Commodus shown here is just too 'normal' looking to be representative.
 |
L AVREL COM-MODVS AVG
TRP III IM II COS. PP |
Like the coins above, another denarius from the joint rule with his father Marcus Aurelius uses a draped bust in place of a head. While never 100% consistent, a bust generally denotes junior status. The praenomen is still Lucius (L) since the coin dates before the change upon the death of Marcus in 180. The reverse shows a seated female holding something over what strikes me as a burning altar. The closest match in the standard references is Cohen 763 which describes the figure as Ceres holding corn ears. No mention is made of the flaming altar. More recent scholars dismiss the Cohen listing as an error for the Salus feeding a snake type (Cohen 762). What do you see here? Ceres? Salus? Altar? Snake? The legend of dating devices offers no help. The situation is made more interesting by the omission of an expected letter in the reverse legend IMP II is clearly IM II. Care must be taken to read the 'I' of 'IM' separately from the numeral three that precedes it. The coin is year (TRP) 3 (178 AD) , not year 4. Perhaps the coin is unofficial; perhaps the coin is a rare variety caused by a busy day at the mint. More study is needed. There are many examples of minor varieties caused by spelling/copying errors at the official mints. Most are found from just one die and have no market value above the normal version. This coin's interest to me is as a possible example of a coin dismissed by modern scholars but reported in the last century (soon to be the century before last!).
 |
M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG
TRP V IMP IIII COS II PP |
A still young Commodus appears on a coin issued following the death of Marcus Aurelius in March, 180. Coins dated to this year dated to TRP V can be separated by Commodus' assumption of the praenomen Marcus (M) in place of his original Lucius (L) occurring at the death of his father. I consider the eye on the portrait interesting since it resembles some the Eastern styles of Septimius Severus rather popping out of the socket. I have no reason to doubt the conventional assignment of the Commodus coins of this style to Rome. The reverse type showing two captives seated at the base of a trophy of arms (of remarkably similar style) was also used by Septimius. Here, however, the captives are from the Danube frontier and do not wear the curved hats shown on Septimius' Parthians. One holds his hand before his face and both slump over in a defeated posture. This coin is struck on a very ragged flan and would be considered defective by many collectors. This is rather commonly found during this period and probably points to a time that the mint was none too careful in controlling the heating and preparations of the blanks for striking. Little details of this nature join the style of engraving to produce the signature of the team that produced these coins. With a little experience in a specialty, a student will recognize the handiwork of specific artists and craftsmen whose names have been lost to the ages.
 |
M COMMODVS - ANTONINVS AVG / LIB AVG TRP V IMP IIII COS II PP
|
Another early coin of the sole reign has the added attraction of being a scarce variety. This coin showing a draped bust instead of a head, confirms the correctness of the listing in Cohen which is mentioned as in need of confirmation in the note to BMC 3. The portrait is exceptional with the long curly sideburns nicely shown. The Liberalitas reverse probably records a donative on the occasion of the death of Marcus. As noted in the paragraph on the Alexandria mint coin, the LIB AVG legend could apply to either Libertas or Liberalitas. The coin shows Liberalitas holding an abacus but weak striking on this one area of the reverse makes the device less than perfectly clear. Otherwise, only a few mushy letters on the reverse keep this coin from being a real gem.
 |
M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT PP
MIN VICT PM TRP XIIII COS V DES VI |
Here is an example of a "normal" issue of this ruler. It bears a reverse legend combining an abbreviated description of the type followed by a string of dating devices. Rarely used in other reigns, this format is common for Commodus. Here Minerva is shown as Victrix posing with a trophy of arms. The coin is dated to 189 AD by the Tribunica Potestas numeral (TRP XIIII) and to the later part of that year by the designation (DES VI) that Commodus planned to assume his sixth consulship at the start of the next year. The obverse legend includes the unusual abbreviation P FEL for Pius Felix. Most reigns used the shorter PF for these titles. Punctuation separates some sections of the legends but there is no consistency in its use. Style is good for the Rome mint and the portrait of the emperor probably is accurate for the last years before he lapsed into insanity.
 |
M COMMODVS ANTONINVS I
SCC ORP PNI TR XIIII COS V DF |
From our most normal coin we jump to the oddest of the bunch. Obviously barbaric, this coin is interesting for how closely it mimics the coin it copied. The original type showed Securitas holding a globe and bore the legend SEC ORB. The rest of the reverse legend was exactly the same as the MIN VIC coin above also dating to the end of 189. The cutter must have read no Latin but made some close guesses like PNI for PM (Pontifex Maximus). On both sides he ran out of space and stopped the legend in the middle of a letter. The weight and metal quality are excellent. This coin was probably produced for trade far from Rome in a region where the denarius was respected currency. The obvious 'best guess' is India but it could have been anywhere that the local alphabet was very different and the cutter would have no idea what he was copying. It was at least the equal in silver of the real thing and was made not to deceive but to provide good currency where it was needed. Purists too good to collect such items are missing part of the fun and ignoring an important part of the world economy of that day.
 |
COMM ANT AVG P BRIT
FEL - PM TRP X IMP VII COS IIII P.P. |
Some coins of Commodus placed the descriptive part of the reverse legend in exergue as had been common in the earlier part of the century. Here we see Felicitas. The encircling legend dates the coin to after 10 December 184. Sometime in 185, Commodus added the title Felix which is missing on this coin so 'Early 185 AD' is a best guess date here. At this period no praenomen initial is used and the lack of Felix leaves P for Pius to stand alone. While the reverse legend is weakly punctuated in several places, this coin is unusual with the heavy dots setting off P.P. Not only are these strongly cut but they are given spaces of their own equal to normal letters. This is so extreme that the exergual FEL is crowded to the left. Why??? The obverse bears a fine portrait with exceptionally curly beard. While never shown with a straight beard, Commodus rarely wears such tight ringlets.
 |
M COMM ANT P - FEL AVG BRIT
FORTVNAE MANENTI - CVPP |
Not as good condition as the other selections here, this coin offers an interesting type and is a bit different in several ways. The reverse shows 'abiding fortune' who waits holding the reigns of a horse. The rudder usually held in the right hand (see above) is leaning against the chair where it was missed by the authors of BMC and RIC. In the exergue (below the ground line of the reverse) the fifth Consulship date 'CV' is combined with PP = Pater Patria. Consulship was almost always abbreviated COS + the numeral. While unusual compared to the entire Roman series, this is quite normal on this one year's issues. Unfortunately for this coin, the small flan cuts into the word 'MANENTI' which is what makes the coin distinctive. Worse yet is the serious flan crack running from the edge of the coin to the point of Commodus' nose. This is an interesting coin type but really not much of a specimen. When selecting a coin for your collection, which is more important: Interesting type or good condition? How willing are you to overlook faults to have an example of a specific type for your collection? Workmanship on coins of this period was not consistently high and this coin is representative of the average to be found.
 |
M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT PP
APOL PAL PM TRP XVI COS VI |
Nearing the end of the period before Commodus abandoned his father's praenomen and returned to Lucius is this coin from 191 AD. The excellent portrait is starting to look old for a thirty year old man but the life of a gladiator and arena performer had begun to take its toll on Commodus. The obverse legend is the standard one found from the middle period including the titles Pius and FELix (neither seeming terribly appropriate for this man). The reverse shows Apollo with his lyre resting on a column. The legend names him as APOLlo of the PALatine referring to the temple of Apollo erected there by Augustus. The coin is bright and pretty but shows some legend weakness, probably from die wear, and a few small metal flaws. The head of Apollo is flatly struck. Still, it is among the best in condition of these selections.
 |
|
L AEL AVREL CO - MM AVG P FEL / LIB AVG PM TRP XVII COS VII PP |
Least of all the choices is a denarius from Rome with the same reverse as the Alexandria mint coin in the first photo. The condition is about the same as the 'MANENTI' coin but it is a more common type. This would be the choice of any of you on a budget since this coin will fairly sell for a quarter to a half of the others. Still it is a decent looking coin with full legends and a decent, tired looking portrait of Commodus in his last year. The obverse legend shows the return to the name Lucius and the adding of the name Aelius suggesting his association with Lucius Verus and the earlier Antonine emperors. The reverse shows a star which begins a long series of appearances in the fields of Roman coins. The meaning of the star, placed to the right or left, is not known but it seems that it might be some sort of control mark of the mint. There are many coins of Commodus much worse than this one!
 |
L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL
HERCVLI ROMANO AVG |
With so many Emperors considering themselves to some degree divine, what is it about Commodus' declaration that he was a god that earned him judgment by history as a lunatic? Beyond declaring himself to be another among the gods, Commodus identified himself as the living embodiment of a specific god, the Roman Hercules, and he issued coins to prove it. The 'Hercules' issues of Commodus show his portrait wearing the lion skin headdress of Hercules. The reverse legend names the Augustus as the 'Roman Hercules' and shows the god's bow, club and quiver. Coins of the type were issued in several different denominations. At the time these coins were struck, Commodus made regular appearances in the arena killing wild animals and in other gladiatorial sports. He is said to have planned to become consul on January 1, 193, while dressed as a gladiator. To the relief of Rome, Commodus was murdered on New Years Eve ending the reign of the Roman Hercules.
 |
L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL
HERCVL ROMAN AVGV SC |
Why should our coin of Commodus have to be a denarius? This bronze as shows the other (and more common) version of the Lionskin portrait issue. Coins of Commodus are easily found in a number of denominations. This page has concentrated on silver denarii but a collector could easily prefer bronzes (or gold!). Oddly, the 'Hercules' coins seem to have been issued in 191 AD rather than the last year of the reign. Coins of the last two years can be identified by the return to the praenomen 'Lucius' but those dated to the last year abandoned the lionskin. The histories that have survived do not shed any light on this numismatic suggestion that Commodus may have softened a bit on the identification with Hercules.
Now that you have seen all the choices you can make your selection. In truth, there is another choice: None of the above. Part of collecting is to decide whether you will buy or shop. As in the real world of collecting, our 'simulated' coin show may not have turned up exactly what we wanted in every respect (type, condition, price etc.) but the search is half the fun. What is a one collector's treasure is another's trash. There is no right, no best, no only way to collect ancient coins except the way that brings you enjoyment. Have fun. |