Ancient coins are among the hottest and most lucrative in today’s coin market. Within this exciting segment, the coins of the 12 Caesars make up those coins struck under Julius Caesar beginning ca 44 BC until Domitian whose reign ended in AD 96.

The following Wall of Fame represents a small kaleidoscope into extraordinary prices realized for 12 Caesar Gold Aureus over the last 15-20 years.

The coins above are listed as all-time highs and the year in which they sold, across all varieties. Many varieties are worth significantly more, which is why some coins realized higher prices in years past. This Wall of Fame is a testament to those individual pieces, as well as the strength of the market in general.

I believe this internationally pursued market segment represents a tremendous opportunity for those seeking extreme upside, a hedge against inflation, and private storage of wealth. The rarity, historical significance, and popularity of these little sculptures etched into metals such as bronze, copper, silver, and gold make these treasures of the ancient world highly prized and extremely valuable.

This magnificent example of a Titus Aureus is the all-time highest-selling 12 Caesars coin… selling at auction for $960,000 in 2012 …a time when the 12 Caesars Market was still just emerging. An incredible example of brilliant condition and rarity – it’s likely to stay in private hands for many years.

Competition is fierce for certain coins causing prices to accelerate in value as dealers, collectors, and investors pursue an exceedingly rare pool of quality, problem-free specimens.

For instance, this Otho Aureus sold for $229,000 in 2005 would easily eclipse $600,000 today.

Ancient rarities have a greater tendency to stay in collections for significantly greater periods of time than other aspects of the rare coin market.

This creates intense demand since collectors understand it might be the only opportunity they will get for a generation or more to acquire a phenomenal example of a truly world-class rarity with global reach.

The 12 Caesars laid the foundation of Western Civilization

The policies set forth by the ancient Romans are felt to this day in governments and societies across the globe. It is truly astonishing to see so much evidence in our everyday life of architecture, philosophy, politics, social behavior, economics, artistry, and much more. When studying Roman history, one quickly realizes much of how live our lives today was born from a society which existed more than two millennia ago.

Ancient coins come in an array of variety of conditions and types. The symbols, words, and portraits of leaders, some great and others not so, make these small works of art both beautiful and intellectually stimulating.

The world was a much different place two millennia ago

Often Eurocentric with most of the trade happening between Europe and Western Asia. Minting practices were often totally on the go and cannot be compared to modern practices. Being a lover of both art and history, I am amazed each time I hold one of these small sculptures in my hand. They truly are a two-thousand-year-old portrait of some of the world’s most infamous and illustrious leaders to ever step on the political stage.

With coins that are two thousand years old, minted by hand, and intended for transactional purposes – bankers marks, die shifts, edge marks, filings, graffito, and other such entries on the holder are the norm. In many instances, these nomenclatures are a testament to authenticity. 12 Caesars coins are special when you think about how they exchanged hands between Ancient Roman merchants, often went to war – as military coffers, and miraculously survived all this time – which is often why when it comes to ancient coins a denotation on the holder rarely affects value unless under extreme circumstances.

The advent of ancient coin certification has added tremendous value to the market – giving the everyday buyer a level playing field to access and purchase coins with ease. Most collectors and investors don’t mind a coin simply “as it was intended.” Especially when they are 2,000 years old. Every piece is historic, and every characteristic is a piece of that history…

Much like a banker’s mark, which denotes a banking transaction, or an edge mark, which may have happened during an exchange between two nations – checking for the authenticity of the coins. It is incredible to ponder the rich history that each specimen represents.