Ancient Coin Value Guide — Book VI: The Nerva-Antonine Dynasty

Kinzer Ancient Coin Value Guide · Section 6 · Book VI

Prepared by Kinzer Coins · First Edition · Market review: September 2026

Ancient Coin Value Guide Book VI
The Nerva–Antonine Dynasty

AD 96–192. Nerva to Commodus, including the principal imperial family-member markets. Certified/slabbed, current fixed-price retail, and buyer-inclusive raw auction evidence remain separate.

View Book VI Market Cards Download First Edition PDF

Quick answers

Nerva–Antonine Coin Values, Explained Clearly

What is a Hadrian denarius worth?
Ordinary Rome denarii form a broad market, but Travel Series, Aegyptos/Nilus, prestige bronze, and gold remain separate.
Why are some Antonine women expensive?
Faustina I and II have broad silver markets, while Plotina, Marciana, and Matidia are much thinner and often require exact comparables.
Why is Commodus priced by type?
Ordinary denarii and Commodus-as-Hercules coinage do not trade as one interchangeable market.
Why does bronze vary so much?
Patina, smoothing, tooling, corrosion, portrait quality, flan size, and reverse completeness can move sestertii by multiples.
How the guide works

Market evidence in a fixed order

Book VI follows the same methodology as Books I–V while separating historically distinct submarkets such as Hadrian's Travel Series, Trajanic conquest types, eastern-war issues, consecration coinage, and Commodus-as-Hercules.

1. Certified / slabbed market first
Grade-specific certified observations are kept separate and compared like-for-like where the evidence supports it.
2. Fixed-price retail second
Active professional dealer asks show what a collector can buy now. Sold dealer listings are historical context only.
3. Buyer-inclusive raw auction third
Auction acquisition cost uses hammer plus the verified mandatory buyer premium for that exact sale. No blanket premium is applied.
4. Specialist markets stay separate
Thin dynastic silver, prestige bronze, rare aurei, and trophy material use specific comparables when a broad range would mislead.
Practical collector reference

Book VI Market Cards

Each card presents certified grade evidence first, current fixed-price retail second, and raw auction Entry-Level / Collector / Choice ranges third, followed by a short market note.

Nerva
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Choice Fine$264–293
VF$312
Choice XF$960
Fixed-Price Retail
~$180–525
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$120–220~$250–450~$500–700+
Market note: Moderate. Ordinary denarii are the broadest practical Nerva market.
Trajan
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
VF~$139–268
Choice VF~$149–403
XF~$342–464
Choice XF~$512–793
Fixed-Price Retail
~$110–500
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$120–180~$200–400~$450–700+
Market note: Broad. Dacian, architectural, prestige bronze, and gold remain separate markets.
Plotina
Vesta denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Fine$1,440
Fixed-Price Retail
No active exact-type ask
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Vesta denarius~$400–800~$900–1,600~$2,000–4,500+
Market note: Thin. Vesta denarii are the principal repeatable Plotina market; gold is exact-comparable.
Marciana
Diva eagle denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
VF$1,500 hammer
Possible BI~$1,838–1,875
Fixed-Price Retail
No active exact-type ask
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Diva eagle denarius~$500–900~$1,200–2,200~$2,500–4,000+
Market note: Thin. Lifetime, eagle, carpentum, and gold must remain separate.
Matidia
Lifetime PIETAS denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Fine$1,020
XF$1,800 hammer
Fixed-Price Retail
No active exact-type ask
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Lifetime PIETAS denarius~$700–1,200~$1,500–2,500~$3,000–6,000+
Market note: Thin. Lifetime and posthumous silver are separate; aurei use exact comparables.
Hadrian
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Choice XF~$439–1,830
Fixed-Price Retail
~$129–500
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$120–200~$225–400~$450–700+
Market note: Broad. Travel Series, Aegyptos/Nilus, prestige bronze, and travel gold remain separate.
Sabina
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
XF$192
Choice XF$390.40
Fixed-Price Retail
~$130–250
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$120–200~$225–450~$500–900+
Market note: Moderate. Premium portrait and scarce-bust silver can move well above ordinary examples.
Aelius Caesar
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Choice XF$915
Fixed-Price Retail
~$170–460
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$200–300~$350–600~$700–1,000+
Market note: Moderate. Bronze is thinner and gold uses specific comparables.
Antoninus Pius
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Choice VF$268.40
Fixed-Price Retail
~$57–185
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$120–200~$225–350~$400–650+
Market note: Broad. Consecration silver and prestige bronze are separate populations.
Faustina I
Ordinary Diva denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Choice AU$561.20
Choice AU 5/5–5/5$1,586
Fixed-Price Retail
~$100–300
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary Diva denarius~$80–150~$175–300~$350–600+
Market note: Broad. Lifetime and Diva silver remain separate; premium consecration types need exact-type checks.
Marcus Aurelius
Ordinary Augustus denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
XF~$610–1,037
Fixed-Price Retail
~$150–300
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary Augustus denarius~$120–200~$225–350~$400–650+
Market note: Broad. Caesar, military/victory, Divus, prestige bronze, and gold remain separate.
Faustina II
Ordinary lifetime denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Choice Fine$139
Choice VF$159
Choice XF$207.40
Fixed-Price Retail
~$60–125
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary lifetime denarius~$75–125~$150–300~$350–600+
Market note: Broad. Premium portrait/hairstyle and Diva coinage should not be blended into ordinary silver.
Lucius Verus
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
VF$169
Fixed-Price Retail
~$185 active ordinary ask
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$100–175~$200–350~$400–650+
Market note: Moderate to broad. Armenian/Parthian victory silver and Divus issues remain separate.
Lucilla
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Choice VF$134
XF$264
Fixed-Price Retail
~$55–325 active asks
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$100–175~$200–350~$400–650+
Market note: Moderate to broad. Premium portrait silver and gold remain more specimen-sensitive.
Commodus
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Choice XF$414.80–976
Choice AU$463.60
Fixed-Price Retail
~$85–149 ordinary
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$100–175~$200–350~$400–650+
Market note: Broad. Commodus-as-Hercules silver is a distinct premium collector market.
Crispina
Ordinary denarius
Collector Price Guide
Certified Grade Evidence
Choice XF$186
Fixed-Price Retail
~$51–250 active asks
Current asking-price evidence; kept separate from auction and certified markets.
Raw Auction — Entry-Level / Collector / Choice
Type / marketEntry-LevelCollectorChoice
Ordinary denarius~$100–175~$200–350~$400–700+
Market note: Moderate. Bronze is surface-sensitive; gold is extremely thin and exact-comparable.

September 2026 market snapshot. Certified, retail, and auction evidence remain separate. Thin or specimen-specific markets use exact comparables rather than forced precision.

Recognizable collector markets

Nerva–Antonine Coin Types & Value Questions

The website focuses on the coin families collectors actually encounter. Minor bust, legend, die, and RIC variants stay in the full book unless they repeatedly create an independent market.

Trajanic conquest coinage
Ordinary denarii are broad; Dacian/conquest and prestige issues remain separate when history-driven demand creates a premium.
Hadrian Travel Series
Travel denarii, Aegyptos/Nilus material, and Travel Series gold are distinct from ordinary Hadrian silver and bronze.
Antonine consecration coinage
Divus and Diva issues of Antoninus Pius, Faustina I, Marcus Aurelius, Faustina II, and Lucius Verus are kept separate where their markets differ.
Imperial women
Sabina, the Faustinas, Lucilla, and Crispina have repeatable silver markets; Plotina, Marciana, and Matidia require more case-by-case comparison.
Military and eastern-war types
Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus military issues are separated when exact reverse families carry a distinct collector premium.
Commodus as Hercules
Late Herculean portrait and reverse types form a recognizable premium market and should not be blended into ordinary Commodus denarii.
Book VI directory

Sixteen ruler & family chapters

Chapter 1
Nerva
Chapter 2
Trajan
Chapter 3
Plotina
Chapter 4
Marciana
Chapter 5
Matidia
Chapter 6
Hadrian
Chapter 7
Sabina
Chapter 8
Aelius Caesar
Chapter 9
Antoninus Pius
Chapter 10
Faustina I
Chapter 11
Marcus Aurelius
Chapter 12
Faustina II
Chapter 13
Lucius Verus
Chapter 14
Lucilla
Chapter 15
Commodus
Chapter 16
Crispina
Research notes

How Book VI Was Researched

Prepared by Kinzer Coins as a dated collector-market reference. Book VI separates evidence classes, prices recognizable type families instead of ruler-wide averages, preserves thin and specimen-specific markets, and excludes provincial and colonial coinage from the headline imperial pricing set.

Certified market
Grade-specific slabbed observations remain separate from raw coins, with strike, surfaces, style, qualifiers, and attribution preserved where they materially affect value.
Current dealer retail
Only active fixed-price asking prices belong in the current retail snapshot. Sold dealer listings are historical context only.
Buyer-inclusive auctions
Hammer plus the verified mandatory buyer premium for that exact sale. Where a winning bidding channel is unknown, the uncertainty is preserved.
Historical currency conversion
Foreign sales are normalized with historical exchange rates when a U.S.-dollar comparison is needed; shipping, tax, VAT, import, payment, and currency-conversion fees are excluded.
Thin-market discipline
Very thin and extremely thin markets use specific comparables rather than forcing an Entry-Level / Collector / Choice range.
Scope control
Provincial and colonial issues remain outside Book VI headline pricing. Exact imperial type family comes first.

Market evidence is a dated September 2026 snapshot, not a guarantee of future value. Ancient coins remain specimen-specific.

Questions collectors ask

Book VI FAQ

What is a Hadrian coin worth?
There is no useful single Hadrian price. Ordinary silver, Travel Series types, premium provinces, bronze, and gold occupy different markets.
Why are some Nerva–Antonine denarii affordable?
Several ordinary silver populations are broad enough that attractive examples recur regularly, especially under Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Faustina I and II, Lucius Verus, and Commodus.
Why are certified coins shown first?
Certification narrows comparison by grade and attribution. Book VI keeps slabbed evidence separate from raw retail and raw auction observations.
How are auction values calculated?
Headline acquisition cost uses hammer plus the verified mandatory buyer premium for that exact sale. A blanket premium is never applied across auction houses.
Why are gold and prestige bronze sometimes specific comparables only?
Thin populations and specimen-specific differences make broad ranges misleading for some aurei and major bronze types.
Are provincial coins included?
No. Provincial and colonial coinage is outside Book VI headline imperial pricing unless a chapter specifically discusses a boundary issue.
The series

Continue the Kinzer Ancient Coin Value Guide

Books I–VI are published. Book VII will continue with the Severan Dynasty, AD 193–235.

Series Hub Book V View Book VI Market Cards Download Book VI PDF
Coming next

Book VII: The Severan Dynasty

AD 193–235. Septimius Severus through Severus Alexander, including the major dynastic family-member markets and the transition into the Crisis of the Third Century.

Ancient Coin Denominations — Simple Guide for Beginners

(Roman & Greek Coins Explained in Plain English)

Ancient coins often come with unfamiliar terms like AE3, Denarius, or Tetradrachm. These names are modern classification tools used by collectors and scholars today. Ancient people themselves did not shop using these labels the way we do now.

Here’s what they mean — simply.

Roman Bronze Coins (AE1–AE4)

AE comes from the Latin aes, meaning bronze.
The numbers 1–4 describe size only, not value.

  • AE1 – Large bronze coin
    Thick, impressive late Roman coins. Less common.
  • AE2 – Medium-large bronze coin
    Popular Constantinian and Late Roman issues.
  • AE3 – Medium bronze coin
    One of the most common ancient Roman coins.
    Excellent for beginners.
  • AE4 – Small bronze coin
    Late Roman issues. Smaller but fully authentic.

Important:
AE numbers are modern size categories, not ancient denominations.

Roman Silver Coins

  • Denarius
    The most famous Roman silver coin.
    Used for everyday transactions for centuries.
    When people imagine a “Roman silver coin,” this is usually it.
  • Antoninianus
    Introduced in the 3rd century AD.
    Originally silver, later silver-alloy or bronze.
    Often shows the emperor wearing a radiate crown.

You may see ANT used as shorthand.
This is a catalog abbreviation, not an ancient name.

Greek Silver Coin Denominations

(Based on Weight, Not “Face Value”)

Greek coins are named by weight, not by purchasing power.

  • Tetradrachm – Large silver coin
    The most famous Greek silver coin.
    Heavy, impressive, and widely used in trade.
  • Drachm – Medium silver coin
    Standard everyday silver coin in many Greek regions.
  • Didrachm – Double drachm
    Larger than a drachm, smaller than a tetradrachm.
  • Obol – Small silver coin
    Fractional coin used for smaller transactions.
  • Hemiobol / Tetrobol
    Very small fractional silver coins.

These names describe weight relationships, not spending power.

Why You Won’t See These Terms in Our Titles

At Kinzer Coins, we prioritize clarity and trust.

You’ll see titles like:

  • Ancient Roman Bronze Coin of Emperor Constantine I
  • Ancient Greek Silver Coin from Athens

Instead of:

  • AE3 Reduced Follis
  • AR Tetradrachm
  • ANT Rome Mint

All technical details — AE size, denomination, metal, and weight — are clearly listed in the Specifications section.

The Most Important Thing to Remember

Every ancient coin we offer is:

  • Authentic
  • Individually unique
  • Historically significant
  • A real object from the ancient world

You don’t need to understand every denomination to start collecting.

You’re not buying a label.
You’re holding history.