I Want Every Roman Emperor (Read This First)

It’s one of the most common thoughts in ancient coin collecting.

You buy your first coin. You start learning the history. Then the idea hits: “I’m going to
collect every Roman emperor.”

It sounds simple. It isn’t.

How Many Are There?

That depends on how you define “emperor.” If you only count widely recognized rulers,
you’re looking at roughly 70 to 80 emperors. If you include short-lived rulers, civil war
claimants, breakaway leaders, and usurpers, that number can grow to 100 or more.

And that’s where the challenge begins.

Why The Goal Gets Hard

Not all emperors are created equal in coin form. Some ruled for decades and struck
huge quantities of coins. Others ruled for weeks, days, or in the middle of chaos, which
means their coins are much scarcer.

That is where a simple collecting goal starts turning into a serious long-term project.

The Problem Coins

A few names can quickly raise the difficulty:

• Romulus Augustulus, the final Western Roman emperor, whose coins are
  extremely limited.

• Gordian I and Gordian II, whose brief rule makes their coins scarce and
  expensive.

• Didius Julianus, Otho, and Pescennius Niger, all tied to unstable periods and
  short reigns.

• Obscure 4th-century usurpers, many of whom issued coins in very small
  quantities.

These are the emperors that can turn a fun challenge into a budget problem.

Why Most Collectors Stall

Most collectors start strong. They buy the easier emperors, build momentum, and feel
close to the finish line. Then the expensive, rare, or nearly unavailable rulers appear,
and progress slows or stops.

That usually leads to one of two outcomes: the budget gets stretched too far, or the
excitement fades.

A Smarter Way In

The goal itself is not wrong. It’s just too big to start with.

A better approach is to build toward it through smaller, more manageable sets, such as:

• The Five Good Emperors.

• One dynasty, like the Julio-Claudian, Flavian, or Severan line.

• The Crisis of the Third Century.

• A thematic collection based on military history, architecture, biblical connections, or artistic style.

Final Thought

A full “every emperor” collection is a long-term, expensive, and demanding project.
But it can also be one of the most rewarding goals in the hobby.

The collectors who succeed at it usually don’t start there. They build toward it, one
group at a time, one story at a time, and one confident step at a time.

In ancient coins, the goal is not just to finish a list. It’s to enjoy the process of getting
there.