The following is a brief summary of the various titles and honorifcs abbreviated on the Imperial legends, usually on the obverse.
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AVG | Augustus, originally the title awarded to Octavian in 27 BC, it became a title used by all succeeding emperors. If there was two concurrent emperors, it would be abbreviated as AVGG or AVGGG if there were three. |
| C, CAES | Caesar originally part of Julius Caesar’s name, it was the family name of the Julio-Claudians and used by succeeding emperors as a title. |
| CENS | Censor, a magistrate under the Republic who had the power to remove undesirable people from the senate (and the senatorial class) and to conduct a Census every five years. The office was revived under Domitian and the powers of the censor were used by several emperors. |
| COS | Consul, usually enumerated each time the emperor was consul for the year, e.g. COS V. Under the republic two were elected annually as the top magistrates. Under the Empire often the Emperor would take one of the consulships at the start of the year, with a member of the imperial family as a colleague, before resigning their offices after a few months for suffect consuls to replace them. |
| DIV, DIVI, DIVO | Divus, or Divine - respected emperor were often deified by the Senate after their death. The event was usually commemorated on CONSECRATIO coinage issued by the succeeding emperor. |
| DN | Dominus Noster or "Our Lord", an honorific used by emperors in the 4th Century AD and afterwards. If there were two concurrent emperors, then the form DDNN was used. |
| F, FIL | Filius, "son of", used after a title to indicate that the depcited person was their son. As emperor it was useful to remind citizens of your illustrious parentage. For example, the legend used by Domitian, "IMP CAES DIVI VESP F DOMITIAN AVG", means that Domitan Augustus was the son of Vespasian, himself Imperator Caesar and Divine. |
| IMP | Imperator, originally under the Republic, this was a title given by soldiers to a victorious general, it later became the sole perogative of the emperor. |
| PF | Pius Felix, usually together meant the emperor was "dutiful to the state" and "happy in luck". |
| PM | Pontifex Maximus, the title of the Chief Priest under the Roman Republic. From Augustus onwards it was another office held by the emperor. |
| PP | Pater Patriae, "Father of his Country", an honorific given to Augustus in 2 BC. Suceeding emperors often refused the title, at least at the beginning of their reigns, but it eventually became part of the emperor's nomenclature. |
| TRP | Tribunicia Potestas, the power of the tribune, was usually enumerated as it was granted each year to the emperor. Another Republican office created to protect the epople, its powers were granted to Augustus and all succeeding emperors. |