Unlike the practice of professional numismatists, I prefer to see the “big picture”. So, my entire Roman coin collection, all 250 pieces, from Julius Caesar to Valentinian III is laid out on a single pane of glass in a cabinet, in chronological order. In an instant, in almost a single glance, I can take in hundreds of years of Roman history, and dozens upon dozens of rulers. One characteristic of the Roman Imperial coinage is easily seen when viewed this way; the relentless debasement of the silver denarius, the workhorse currency of the Empire, a coin about the size of an American dime.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1338/follow-the-money--the-coinage-of-later-imperial-ro/.