Marcus Aurelius

I only do the larger bronze, but we can appreciate a few of mine here. They range from 30.2gm to 34.1gm.

 

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Silver coin (AR Denarius) minted during the reign of ANTONINUS PIUS and MARCUS AURELIUS as Caesar, in 140 A.D. Obv. ANTONINVS.AVG.PIVS.P.P.TR.P.COS.III.: bare hd. r. Rev. AVRELIVS.CAESAR.AVG.PII.F.COS.: bare hd. r. RCS #1333. RSCII #14. RICIII #415a pg.78. DVM #4. (F-VF/VF centered, full legends, problem-free & nice). JOINT CONSULATE

 

I have read his Musings several times. I feel that he did not intend them to be meditations, rather more as his Musings since the were notes to himself.

One of the few good guys. I even carry his Sestertius as a pocket piece. Here he is as a Caesar.

Aurelius

RI MARCUS AURELIUS AR Den as Caesar TR POT VI COS II - Genius stg at altar hldg standard

 

Just got in a couple of Marcus Aurelius AEs from the depths of eBay.

First this early as/dupondius with Minerva standing; as with all low-grade material, my efforts to attribute are more of a ballpark guess via the process of elimination. Something like that. That it is draped makes it a variety. Also, I think I found a (draped) die match:


Marcus Aurelius Æ As / Dup.
(145 A.D.)
Rome Mint
AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG [PII F], bare-headed draped bust right / [TR POT COS II] S C: Minerva standing right, holding spear and leaning on shield
RIC III Antoninus Pius 1266 (as or dupondius) var. (draped bust).
(10.40 grams / 23 x 22 mm)
eBay Feb. 2022
Attribution Notes: Two types:
RIC 1264: No reverse legend
RIC 1266: TR POT COS II rev.
No reverse legend visible, but CAE SAR legend break is on most RIC 1266 examples. Also, draped bust variety and obverse die match (?) to RIC 1266 from: Paul-Francis Jacquier Auction 48; Lot 231; 18.09.2020 "Drapierte Büste"

Die match obverse (or not):


Paul-Francis Jacquier
Auction 48; Lot 231; 18.09.2020
Description
RÖMISCHE MÜNZEN RÖMISCHE KAISERZEIT. MARCUS AURELIUS, Caesar 139-161. As, 147. AVRELIVS CAE–SAR AVG PII F. Drapierte Büste rechts. Rv/ TR POT – COS II/S–C. Minerva mit Lanze und Schild n. rechts stehend. C 598; RIC 1266; BMCRE 1806. 12,90 g.Fast vorzüglich
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7308883

In the same lot, came another Aurelius, this one a provincial. It was much easier to figure out:


Marcus Aurelius Æ Diassarion
Thessaly, Koinon of Thessaly
(160-180 A. D.)
AVT M AVP A NTωNЄINOC, laureate head right / KOINON ΘЄCCAΛωN, Athena Itonia advancing right brandishing spear and holding shield.
RPC IV.1, 4565 (temporary);
(see notes)
(8.70 grams / 24 x 23 mm)
eBay Feb. 2022
Attribution Notes:
SNG Copenhagen 345; Rogers 95a; BMC 79 and 80α; BCD Thessaly II 960.3
Two denominations:
RPC IV.1 4565 (temporary) (avg. 11.65 grams / 25 mm)
RPC IV.1 4567 (temporary) (avg. 5.61 grams / 19 mm)

Also wanted to mention I am finishing up a reread of Marcus Aurelius: A Life by Frank McLynn. It is very opinionated, sometimes a bit bumptious, but I really like it a lot.


https://www.amazon.com/Marcus-Aurel...6819163/ref=pd_lpo_1?pd_rd_i=0306819163&psc=1

 

I'm always carrying around a ratty sestertius, etc. as a pocket piece. Good to know there're others out there! You don't happen to have a photo of it, do you?

 

Like @John Wright I like sestertii as well and I have two of Marcus Aurelius.
Marcus Aurelius As Caesar Ae Sestertius 140-144 AD Obv. head left bare. Rv Priestly implements RIC 1234c (Pius) 22.67 grms 31 mm Photo by W. Hansen I found this coin while travelling in the UK September 2018. I was immediately impressed with the entire composition of this coin. Marcus is depicted as a very serious looking young man. The forehead mouth and jaw form a straight vertical line. This is re enforced by a second vertical line formed by the front of the eye and cheek. This gives the image a real sense of strength and power. All together a wonderful image and since it is on a sestertius on a large enough scale to really make it work.

 

Marcus Aurelius is one of my favorite emperors, and his Meditations is certainly one of my favorite classical works.
Here are a few of my coins of his..

Ae sestertius with Mars reverse.

Ae sestertius with Roma sitting on pile of shields

Ae sestertius with Salus reverse.



Ae sestertius with reverse depicting both Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.







C. 169-170 AD

Reverse: COS III, Emperor on horseback, soldier before, PROFECTIO AVG in ex.

Ref: RIC 978

Weight: 26.76g

Size: 29mm

 

Here is my denarius of Marcus Aurelius. Common issue in amazing condition:

Obverse: IMP M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG - Laureate head R.
Reverse: CONCORD AVG TRPP XVI. Concordia std l. extending patera in r. COS III in exergue
Mint: Rome
Weight: 3.15 gm.
Reference: RIC 37 var. (RIC III). Minor variation with COS III in exergue.
Provenance: CNG, purchased Oct. 16, 1987

 

Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Marcus Aurelius, as Caesar, AD 139-161. Billon Tetradrachm (23mm, 14.18g, 12h). Dated RY 15 of Antoninus Pius (AD 151/152). Obv: Bareheaded bust right, slight drapery. Rev: Dikaiosyne standing facing, head left, holding scales and cornucopia; IЄ/L (date) to upper and lower left. Ref: Köln –; Dattari (Savio) 3149; K&G 37.50; Emmett 1838.15 (R3). Toned, Very Fine. Very rare. From the New Orleans Collection. Ex CNG eAuction 447, Lot 229.

 

So many beautiful sestertii of Marcus in this thread!

I'll go ahead and share mine which was a NYINC pickup.

At the moment this is my only coin of Marcus. I liked this coin when I originally saw it in a Heritage auction, but I wasn't 100% sold on it and decided against it. It reappeared in a CNG auction but I wasn't convinced by the photograph, so I passed it up again. When I saw it in person at the NYINC show I was very impressed and decided to purchase it almost immediately.

Marcus Aurelius (AD 139-161, as Caesar)

AE Sestertius (31mm, 23.19 g). Rome mint. AD 145. AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS II, bare-headed bust right, drapery on left shoulder / HILARITAS, Hilaritas standing facing, head left, long palm in right hand, cornucopia in left; S-C across fields. RIC III (Antoninus Pius) 1242a.

Ex T. R. Fehrenbach Collection.
Ex Classical Numismatic Review.
Ex Classical Numismatic Group Feature Auction 118 (14 September 2021), lot 1079.
Ex Heritage Auctions NYINC World& Ancient Coins Platinum & Signature Auction #3089 (22 January 2021), lot 33202.

 

Hi All,

Alexandrian diobol.



- Broucheion

 

Congrats!! Here is my Marcus Aurelius.


Marcus Aurelius, as Augustus (AD 161-180). AR denarius (19mm, 3.37 gm, 11h). NGC AU 5/5 - 4/5.Rome, AD 168-169. M ANTONINVS AVG ARM-PARTH MAX, laureate head of Marcus Aurelius right / FORT RED TR P XXIII•IMP V, Fortuna seated left, rudder in right hand, cornucopia in left; COS III in exergue. RIC III 205.

 

What a thoroughly enjoyable thread! Some really lovely portraits of MA here. Some that jumped out at me include the OP denarius, @cmezner's denarius (we need to see a new photo!! ), @Ryro's first sest. (those beard tendrils!), @Marsyas Mike's implements as (marvellous portrait style!), and @PeteB's too, @John Wright's beauties, @Terence Cheesman's amazing sest., and (as usual) @octavius's beauties.

I don't have the funds to match some of the high-grade big bronzes we've seen, but I'm happy with what I've been able to manage for this emperor.

As caesar (AE As):


OP type dupondius (needs a new photo!):


High grade silver:


But I think my favourite portrait is this one:


Comparing the last two coins, I've noticed that MA as Augustus is often portrayed with a rather cartoonish, thin eyebrow, as in the high grade coin. I suppose it could just have been worn away, but to my eye, the bottom portrait is much more naturalistic, lacking the silly eyebrow, but for other reasons too. (Or maybe I'm just being weird again... )

 

@Severus Alexander Will do my best to take a better picture; Sorry, I'm terrible at pictures and I really try so very hard but it is never good enough

 

Here are the new pictures.

All credits go to @Severus Alexander who with all his patience and work made these pictures possible.

Thank you so very much @Severus Alexander, you are the Best!

 

Here's my most recent M. Aurelius, a Provincial from Corinth, from the BCD Corinth sale, no. 721 (Lanz 105, 26 Nov 2001; that's the catalog in the background).

It's also example #2 in RPC Online 7589. They don't have a photo yet, and the others aren't much nicer, so hopefully I can get a less blurry one to submit to RPC Online:

 

A recent pick-up:


Marcus Aurelius Æ As
(170-171 A.D.)
Rome Mint
M ANTONINVS [AVG TR P XX]V, laureate head right / COS I[II] S C, Minerva advancing right, brandishing javelin and holding shield.
RIC III 991; Cohen 125; BMC 1393.
(9.75 grams / 24 x 23 mm)
eBay Jan. 2022