Augustan Era · Collector's Guide
Agrippa: The Man Who Built the Roman Empire
63–12 BC · Commander of Actium · Loyal Architect of the Augustan Age
Roman Empire
63–12 BC
Kinzer Coins
Marcus Agrippa won the wars that made Augustus emperor — and then chose not to take the throne himself. His coinage tells the story of the most powerful man in Rome who spent his career building an empire for someone else.
Born around 63 BC into an obscure family with no hereditary claim to political power, Agrippa rose entirely through ability — becoming the greatest military commander of his generation, the admiral who destroyed Antony and Cleopatra at Actium, the builder who transformed Rome's infrastructure, and the statesman who helped Augustus construct the political system of the early empire. He could have seized power at multiple points in his career. He never tried. His coins reflect this unusually: even at the height of his success, Agrippa's coinage consistently emphasized shared authority and imperial unity rather than personal dominance. For collectors, he is one of the most historically important non-emperor figures in all of Roman numismatics.
The Battle of Actium
On September 2, 31 BC, Agrippa's fleet destroyed the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium off the coast of Greece. It was one of the most consequential naval engagements in world history. Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt, where both died by suicide within the year. Octavian — soon to become Augustus — emerged as the undisputed ruler of the Roman world, and the Republic gave way to the Empire. Agrippa had already demonstrated extraordinary naval skill defeating Sextus Pompey years earlier, earning the extraordinarily rare honor of the rostral crown: a naval victory wreath decorated with the bronze prows of captured ships. This crown appears on several of his most famous portrait coins and is the single most distinctive symbol in his numismatic legacy — the mark of Rome's greatest admiral.
Agrippa was powerful enough to have become emperor himself — after Actium, perhaps more powerful than Augustus. He chose instead to build the empire, the infrastructure, and the institutions. That choice may have saved Rome from another generation of civil war.
The Coinage of Agrippa
Agrippa's numismatic legacy is defined by his relationship to Augustus — not by personal promotion. Most of his coinage is collaborative: joint portraits, shared dynastic issues, or commemoratives that frame Agrippa as partner to the imperial project rather than rival claimant. The Nemausus crocodile coins struck in Gaul are the most widely collected type and the most accessible entry point into Agrippa collecting for most budgets.
Nemausus Crocodile Bronze
The most widely collected Agrippa coin type — struck at Nemausus (modern Nîmes) in Gaul, commemorating the conquest of Egypt. Obverse shows the facing heads of Agrippa and Augustus together. Reverse: a crocodile chained to a palm branch, with the colony's name. A direct visual record of the Actium victory and the partnership between the two men who built the Roman Empire. Accessible, historically specific, and immediately recognizable.
Rostral Crown Portrait Issues
Agrippa's most distinctive imperial portrait types — featuring the rare rostral crown that marked him as Rome's greatest admiral. Struck at Rome and in the provinces, these issues directly celebrate the naval victories that ended the civil wars. The rostral crown portrait is the most historically charged Agrippa image in Roman numismatics and the natural centerpiece of any serious Agrippa collection.
Joint Portrait Issues with Augustus
Coins featuring Agrippa and Augustus together on the same flan — struck across provincial mints from Spain to Asia Minor. These joint issues are among the most compelling dynastic coins of the early imperial period, visually embodying the partnership that transformed Rome. More varied in style and rarity depending on mint; some provincial joint types are genuinely affordable while others are significant acquisitions.
Colonial and Provincial Bronze
Struck across Roman colonies in Spain, Gaul, and the eastern provinces — often combining Agrippa's portrait or name with Augustan iconography, local deities, and regional artistic styles. The most affordable Agrippa portrait coins available and the natural starting point for collectors entering through the Augustan era or early imperial provincial coinage.
Posthumous Commemoratives
Issued after Agrippa's death in 12 BC — including the famous as struck under Augustus honoring him. These posthumous issues are important evidence of how deeply Augustus valued Agrippa's legacy and how central his memory remained to the Augustan political identity. The as with the AGRIPPA COS III legend and the rostral crown portrait is one of the most historically important Roman commemorative bronzes.
Naval Victory Types
Issues commemorating the victories against Sextus Pompey and the Actium campaign — featuring Neptune, ship prows, military standards, and naval imagery. These types connect Agrippa's personal military achievements directly to the coins and are especially sought by collectors interested in Roman naval history and the end of the Republic.
How to Collect Agrippa
Agrippa fits naturally into several major collecting frameworks — Augustan era sets, Roman naval history, early imperial provincial coinage, and "founders of the empire" collections. The Nemausus crocodile type is the ideal starting point for most collectors: historically specific, visually distinctive, and genuinely accessible.
Start Here
The Nemausus crocodile bronze — the most accessible and widely available Agrippa type, and one of the most historically resonant coins of the entire Augustan period. Facing portraits of Agrippa and Augustus together on a single coin that directly commemorates the victory that ended the civil wars.
Go Deeper
Rostral crown portrait issues and posthumous commemorative asses for serious Agrippa collectors. Pair with an Augustus denarius to tell the complete partnership story. Joint portrait provincial types for collectors interested in the full geographic breadth of the Augustan era.
Agrippa is one of the most compelling non-emperor figures in all of Roman numismatics — and his coinage carries a historical argument that no strictly imperial coin can match. The Nemausus crocodile alone tells you that two men built the Roman Empire together: one took the throne, the other could have and didn't. That restraint is visible in every joint portrait, every shared reverse, every coin where Agrippa placed Augustus first. Collecting Agrippa means collecting the story of loyalty, partnership, and the quiet decision that may have saved Rome from another generation of civil war.
Hold what the greats held.
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Browse Coins of Agrippa at Kinzer Coins
Authentic Augustan era coins honoring Rome's greatest admiral and builder — Nemausus crocodile bronzes, rostral crown portraits, joint issues with Augustus, and naval victory types.
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