Happy Weekend, A friend of mine is reading Meditations and forwarded this quote. Encouraged me to share a thought and a recent coin acquisition. On the above coin his beard comes to life, allowing me to overlook the reverse flaws. I do like the Roma reverses for all of the Antonine-Nerva coinage. I would love to see some Marcus Aurelius - I'm looking for a Caesar issue, so feel free to share those as well.
That's a beautiful denarius, @IMP Shogun! The portrait is strongly struck and of fine style. Just lovely! This one is my favorite Marcus Aurelius denarius because of the toning. Nothing special about the reverse type -- seems every other Antonine reverse is Annona. Marcus Aurelius, Augustus AD 161-180. Roman AR denarius, 3.15 g, 18.1 mm, 11 h. Rome, 36th emission, AD 178. Obv: M ANTONINVS AVG, laureate head, right. Rev: COS III P P, Annona standing left, holding corn-ears in right hand over modius and cornucopia in left hand; to right, prow. Refs: RIC 424; BMCRE 691; Cohen 151; RCV 4893; MIR 436-4/30.
Great portrait with a wonderful beard! For whatever reason, I have far fewer Marcus Aurelius coins than I do of any of his three immediate predecessors, but I do have two Marcus Aurelius Caesars, both depicting him without his famous beard: Antoninus Pius with Marcus Aurelius as Caesar, AR Denarius 140-144 AD Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head of Antoninus Pius right, ANTONINVS AVG PIVS - P P TR P COS III / Rev. Bare head of young Marcus Aurelius right, beardless, AVRELIVS CAESAR - AVG PII F COS. RIC III Antoninus Pius 417a (p. 78) (1930 ed.); RSC II Antoninus Pius & Marcus Aurelius 15 (p. 190); Sear RCV II 4524 (ill. p. 261) [dated to 141 AD]; BMCRE IV Antoninus Pius 155 (p. 26; ill. Pl 4 No. 11); A. Pangerl, "Vier Jahrzente Portraits des Marcus Aurelius auf römischen Reichsmünzen," 500 Years of Roman Coin Portraits (2d ed. 2017), pp. 318-333 at p. 324 Tabelle 1 (No. 3.04) & p. 326 (No. 4) [dated to 140 AD and classified at p. 439 as “Type 1: round head of a child, no beard, curly hair”]. 19mm, 3.43 gm, 12h. Purchased from Akropolis Ancient Coins, 17 October 2021. Marcus Aurelius Caesar (under Antoninus Pius) AR Denarius, 145-146 AD, Rome Mint. Obv: Bare head right, clean-shaven, AVRELIVS CAE-SVG PII F / Rev: Honos standing left, holding branch and cornucopiae, COS II. RIC III Antoninus Pius 429a, RSC II Marcus Aurelius 110 (p. 202), BMCRE IV Antoninus Pius 594 (p. 85), ERIC II 301, Sear RCV (1981 ed.) 1279; A. Pangerl, "Vier Jahrzente Portraits des Marcus Aurelius auf römischen Reichsmünzen," 500 Years of Roman Coin Portraits (2d ed. 2017), pp. 318-333 at p. 324 Tabelle 1 (No. 3.10) & p. 326 No. 10 [dated to 145-146 AD and classified at p. 439 as “Type 3: long head shape of adolescent boy; beginning moustache, increasing but discrete side burns”] (noting at p. 324 that "RIC gibt keinen Barttyp an"). 18.2 mm, 3.3 g. Later on: Marcus Aurelius AR Denarius, 161-62 AD; Obv: Bare head right, IMP M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG / Rev. Providentia stdg. left holding globe & cornucopiae, PROV DEOR TR P XVI COS III. RIC III 50, RSC II 519. 17 mm., 3.3 g. Marcus Aurelius, AE Sestertius, 173 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder; M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII / Rev. Marcus Aurelius standing left, holding scepter with left hand, and, with his right hand, raising by her right hand a kneeling figure of Italia, wearing a turret and holding a globe with her left hand; [RESTITVTORI ITALIAE] IMP VI COS III [bracketed portion off flan]. RIC III 1078, Sear RCV II 4997, Cohen 538. 30mm, 25.8g. [According to David Sear (see RCV II at p. 315), this coin "commemorates the deliverance of Italy from the threat of barbarian invasion resulting from the emperor's successes in his wars against the Germanic tribes of the Danubian region."] [Purchased from Incitatus Coins, June 2020.] Even later: Divus Marcus Aurelius, AR Denarius, 180 BCE, Rome Mint. Obv. Bare head right, DIVVS M AN-TONINVS PIVS / Rev. Eagle standing right on globe, head left, wings raised, CONSECRATIO. RIC III 273 (Commodus), RSC II 91 (MA), Sear RCV II 5974 (Commodus), BMCRE 20 (Commodus). 19 mm., 3.32 g. [Purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 214th Buy or Bid Sale, Dec. 2020, Lot 242.] Link to Vimeo video of coin: .
I have a Caesar of his as well as others. Marcus Aurelius, as Caesar (139-161 A.D.) AR Denarius O: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head right. R: PIETAS AVG, sacrificial implements: knife, sprinkler, ewer, lituus and simpulum. Rome Mint 140-144 A.D. 3.3g 20mm RIC 424a[pius], RSC 451, BMCRE IV (A. Pius) 277, SRCV II 4786 Scarce Marcus Aurelius (161 - 180 A.D.) AR Denarius O: M ANTONINVS AVG GERM SARM, Laureate head right. R: TR P XXX IMP VIII COS III, Roma standing left holding Victory and spear. 3.5g 19.38mm RIC 352; RSC 929a; BMC 669 Marcus Aurelius (161 - 180 A.D.) Egypt, Alexandria Billon Tetradrachm O: Μ ΑVΡΗ ΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟС С Laurete head left wearing cuirass and paludamentum. R: Tyche seated left, wearing kalathos, resting hand on rudder, holding cornucopia; in left field, Year Δ = Year 4 (163/4 A.D.) 21mm 12.98g Emmett 2085 Dattari 3393 Marcus Aurelius (139 - 161 A.D.) Egypt, Alexandria Billon Tetradrachm O: M AYRHLIOC KAICAR, bareheaded, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: Homonoia standing left by altar, holding patera and double cornucopiae. LI-Z across fields. Year 17 (of Antoninus Pius), 153-154 A.D. 12.81g 21mm Dattari 3150; Emmett 1850; Kampmann 37.67
Marcus Aurelius as Caesar: Rome 148 - 149 AD struck under Antoninus Pius 18 x 19 mm, 3.221 g RIC III Antoninus Pius 444, BMC 683; RSC 618; Sear 4787 Ob.: AVRELIVS CA/ESAR AVG PII F, Head of Marcus Aurelius, bare, right Rev.: TR POT III COS II, Minerva, helmeted draped, standing right, holding vertical spear in right hand and resting left hand on round shield set on ground
Jeezy Pete's! That is one of the best MA portraits I've seen on a denarius Big congrats @IMP Shogun Here are some of my favorites: Marcus Aurelius AE Sestertius, Rome, A.D. 153/4, 31 mm, 20,01 g, as Caesar under Antoninus Pius, bare-headed, draped bust right, with light beard, AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG P[II FIL], rev. TR POT [VIII] COS II, S-C, Minerva standing half right, holding reversed spear and owl (BMC 1955) Jan 2021 Elkowicz Marcus Aurelius AR Denarius, RIC 73 Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD). AR Denarius Roma (Rome), 162-163. Obv. IMP M ANTONINVS AVG, laureate head to right. Rev. PROV DEOR TR P XVII COS III, Providentia Standing left, Holding cornucopiae and globe. RIC 73. Cohen 525. Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. Denarius. Minted 140 CE Ob. : ANTONINVS AVG. PIVS PP TR. P. COS. III. Antoninus Pius bare head to the right. Rev .: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG. P. III F. COS. Marcus Aurelius bare head on the right. 3.13 grs. Slight skates skates. EBC / Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. Light uneven patina and extremely fine. C-21a; RIC-415c; BMC-148. Former Martí Hervera - December 10, 2002, n. 801. Purchased from Soler y Llach, Coleccion Scipio, Oct 2021
I don't have a single Roman Alexandrian coin of Marcus Aurelius. I don't think there's much question that Hadrian and Antoninus Pius minted more different types there than any other emperor before or after, but it seems that there was a considerable drop-off with Aurelius. I have no idea why.
A really spectacular denarius of Marcus Aurelius, @IMP Shogun At the moment I am re-reading a biography of Marcus Aurelius by Frank McLynn that really impresses me. Some of the reviews on Goodreads complain about McLynn's negativity, but I think he's reasonably cynical, if opinionated. He gives one of the few plausible explanations for why Aurelius allowed his awful son Commodus to succeed him - he had no choice. If Commodus had been bypassed in the succession, he most surely would have been murdered. One would have to be quite the Stoic to allow your own son to get snuffed out this way. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/40718609#other_reviews Anyway, my latest Marcus Aurelius is a posthumous sestertius, issued by Commodus, showing Marcus ascending to heaven on the back of an eagle (sort of; mine is quite worn): Marcus Aurelius Æ Sestertius Posthumous for Commodus (180 A.D.) Rome Mint DIVVS·M·ANTONINVS PIVS, bare head right / [CONSECRATIO] SC in ex., eagle flying right, grasping thunderbolt, Marcus Aurelius riding on back holding sceptre (26.44 grams / 30 x 29 mm) eBay Jan. 2022 Ck Attribution Notes: Obverse legend has M flanked by dots; seems to be common. Reverse SC is in the exergue; Wildwinds notes var., but most online auction descriptions do not note this, or say "across fields" even when in exergue. RIC III Commodus 660 var. Cohen 94 (Marcus Aurelius); BMCRE 395 (Commodus); Banti 50 var. (position of S C). Also this month came this as from his Caesar days: Marcus Aurelius Æ As (145 A.D.) Rome Mint AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII [F COS] II, bare head right / [HI]L[ARITAS], S C, Hilaritas standing left, holding long palm and cornucopiae. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1260 (as) BMCRE 1794 (Pius). (8.44 grams / 24 mm) eBay Jan. 2022 Ck Attribution Notes: [COS] II (barely) visible obverse, thus RIC 1260, but note: RIC 1236: AVG PII F COS RIC 1260: AVG PII F COS II This one's a bit nicer, another as from his beardless Caesar days, issued by Antoninus Pius: Marcus Aurelius Æ As (140-144 A.D.) Rome Mint AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head right / PIETAS AVG, S C in exergue, sacrificial implements: knife, sprinkler, jug, lituus & simpulum. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1240a (as) Cohen 455. (9.81 grams / 25 mm) eBay Dec. 2021
Here's a sestertius reverse type that hasn't appeared in this thread yet, Victory inscribing a shield VIC PAR to honor Roman victory against the Parthians. (Marcus Aurelius sent his co-emperor Lucius Verus to lead the fighting, and Verus "led from the rear", living in luxury in Antioch while leaving the actual fighting to his highly competent generals.) I also have an example of the RESTITVTORI ITALIAE type already shown by @DonnaML :
A nice "Caesar" portrait: Marcus Aurelius. As Caesar, 139-161 AD. Æ As (28mm, 10.74 gm, 6h). Rome mint. Struck under Antoninus Pius, 140-144 AD. Obv: Bare head right. Rev: Implements of the augurate and pontificate: secespita, aspergillum, guttus, lituus, and simpulum. RIC III 1240a (Pius).
That’s a spectacular denarius @IMP Shogun ! What a portrait! Here are my two favorite portraits of Marcus Aurelius: Divus Marcus Aurelius. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.24 g). Consecration issue. Rome mint. Struck under Commodus, 180 AD. Bare head of Divus Marcus Aurelius right / Rev. CONSECRATIO, eagle standing right on globe. RIC III 273 (Commodus). From the Phil Peck ("Morris") Collection Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, Seleucis and Pieria, Laodicea ad Mare. 161-169 AD, AE Diassarion (25 mm, 9.08 g), Laureate head of Marcus Aurelius to r./ Rev. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Lucius Verus to r., RPC online IV.3 9010
A nice coin with great Marcus Aurelius portrait, @IMP Shogun. Thanks for sharing. I currently have only one young portrait on the reverse.
My sole Marcus Aurelius denarius is one of my favorite coins in my Roman Imperial collection: AR Denarius (19mm, 3.46g) M ANTONINVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX, laureate head right / TR P XXI IMP IIII COS III, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae. RIC 171. Privately purchased from a fellow collector on Facebook
Here are my favorite Marcus Aurelius coins. I have only 1 as from his Caesar period but a very worn example. Marcus Aurelius AD 161-180 AR Denarius 175-176 Obv: M ANTONINVS AVG GERM SARM Rev: TR P XXX IMP VIII COS III, Mars Ref: RIC 349 Ionia. Ephesos. Marcus Aurelius AD 161-165 Bronze Æ 19 mm., 4,44 g Obverse: Μ ΑΥΡ ΚΑΙϹ ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝ; laureate-headed bust of Marcus Aurelius wearing cuirass, r., seen from rear Reverse: ƐΦƐϹΙΩΝ; stag standing, r. RPC IV.2, 1132, Karwiese 306, Cop 401 Specimens: 14 A.D. 170-171 AR Denarius IMP M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXV; Laureate head right. VOTA SVSCEP DECENN II COS III; M. Aurelius veiled, standing l., sacrificing at a tripod. RIC III Rome 251
A Liberalitas VI sestertius... An AE coin (= as) of Gadara, today Umm Qays in Jordan, overlooking the Tiberias lake. On reverse, showing the city's Tyche standing in her niche, the legend ΓΑΔΑΡ - ЄΚC (year 225 of the city's era = 161/2 AD). Gadara was a Greek city mentioned in the Gospels. In the middle of a land populated by Jews, Syrians (or Cananaeans) and Arabs, for whom the pork was taboo, the Gadarenes were Greeks with their own laws and they raised pigs. Jesus came there one day and exorcized a poor man in the city's outskirts, the daemons left him and passed to a pigs herd nearby, who like lemmings immediately rushed and dived into the lake.
Marcus as Caesar from Alexandria: Type: AE Drachm, 33mm, 22.95 grams of Alexandria Obverse: Bare headed and draped bust of Aurelius right M AVPHLIOC KAICAP Reverse: Elpis Standing left holding flower and hitching skirt LEND EKATOV Reference: BMC 1238 listed as "rare" by R.A. Numismatics
That is a very attractive Marcus Aurelius Liberalitas sestertius - I thought I had one too, but mine is from the next one, Liberalitas VII (and not nearly as nice as yours): Marcus Aurelius Æ Sestertius (174-175 A.D.) Rome Mint M ANTONINVS AVG GERM T[R P XXIX], laureate head r. / [LIBERALIT]AS AVG VII [IMP VII COS III] SC, Liberalitas standing left holding coin-counter and cornucopiae. RIC 1150 (25.02 grams / 29 mm) eBay Apr. 2018