A new additions today, a rather small but very fat sestertius from Marcus Aurelius' final year. Sear 5017 M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXXIIII VIRTVS AVG IMP X COS III PP SC 29mm, 21.74g, about 5mm thick, 180AD It seemed appropriate to have Virtus on the reverse, both for its military connotations, and the other excellence for which Marcus is known in the form of arete. Share your Marcus coins, Virtus reverses, or anything you feel appropriate.
Marcus as Caesar from Alexandria. Note also the Marcus' quote in my signature... Type: AE Drachm, 33mm, 22.95 grams 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
Nice looking sestertius, thejewk. Most of mine don't have full legends they way yours does. The reverse artistry is exquisite - and it is one of the few Virtus types I've seen that looks definitely to be a woman. Virtus is gender-confusing to me - and here is Wikipedia: "The deity was represented in a variety of ways, for example, on the coins of Tetricus, they could appear as a matron, an old man, or a young man, with a javelin, battle helmet, or only clothed in a cape." Here is a fine article on Virtus from FORVM: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_virtus.html I have a very hard-to-photograph Marcus Aurelius sestertius with Virtus standing. It suffers from a really crude attempt to remove what was maybe a nice green patina (I didn't do it, I promise). It is somewhat easier to see in hand, but it is still "camouflaged" by uneven raw brass/patina. I posted it a while back because I was interested in Virtus as a type for Marcus Aurelius. My post was not very clear because I made it sound as if I were fishing for "rarity." Mostly I was interested in Virtus. When I posted this, I thought Virtus was a scarce type for Marcus Aurelius, but I was not very familiar with using OCRE at that time - but just now I got 57 hits in all metals. So obviously, Virtus was an important type for Aurelius: http://numismatics.org/ocre/results?q=deity_facet:"Virtus"+AND+portrait_facet:"Marcus+Aurelius" Here's my original post: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/marcus-aurelius-sestertius-virtus-rare-does-it-matter.321327/ Marcus Aurelius Æ Sestertius (172-173 A.D.) Rome Mint M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII, laureate, cuirassed bust right / [IMP VI COS III] SC, Virtus, standing right, holding spear resting on shield RIC 1069. (25.82 grams / 30 mm)
Nice! I got this MA sestertius about a week or so ago: Marcus Aurelius, Ruled 161-180 AD AE Sestertius, Struck 168-169 AD, Rome Obverse: M ANTONINVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX, laureate head right. Reverse: TR POT XXIII • IMP V COS III; Fortuna, draped, seated left on low seat, holding rudder set on ground in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand; S-C across field; FORT RED in exergue. References: RIC 962, Cohen 213 Size: 30mm, 22.5g
Great coins everyone, and thanks for the links @Marsyas Mike , very interesting reading. It's a real shame that the patina is affected on your coin from a botched cleaning job. I have had my eye on a Commodus sestertius with a similar complete patina and it is very attractive. And thanks @Clavdivs , the good style of the reverse was what made me look a second time. Certainly a skilled engraver.
MARCUS AURELIUS AE Sestertius OBVERSE: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head right REVERSE: IVVENTAS S C, Juventas, wearing a long robe, standing left, holding a patera, sprinkling incense on a candelabrum Struck at Rome, 140 AD 12.4g, 27mm RIC 1232, C 393, S4831 MARCUS AURELIUS AE Sestertius OBVERSE: M ANTONINVS AVG GERM SARMATICVS, laureate head right REVERSE: TR P XXIX IMP VIII COS III S-C, Annona standing left, holding corn-ears & cornucopiae; modius with two corn-ears and poppy at her feet Struck at Rome, 175 AD 22.3g, 30mm RIC 1154
Yeah, it is too bad about the terrible cleaning job - thanks for the sympathy! I paid a US quarter for it - no kidding, a quarter. It came in a lot. So I always considered it a great investment, since I am pretty sure I can get a dollar for it.
Nice coin, @thejewk ! That's a fine portrait, and the coin has, at least in my eyes, a very attractive contrasting patina. Certainly a worthy addition to your collection. Here is a sestertius struck shortly after the succesful Roman campaign against the Marcomanni and their allies in 171 AD, due to which Marcus Aurelius assumed the title Germanicus. Roma sits on the weapons captured from the Germanic tribes. Marcus Aurelius, Roman Empire, sestertius, 171–172 AD, Rome mint. Obv: M ANTONINVS AVG TR [P XXVI], bust of Marcus Aurelius, draped and laureate, r. Rev: [IMP] VI COS III, Roma seated l. on pile of armor, leaning on shield, holding sceptre; in fields flanking, SC. 30mm, 26.95g. Ref: RIC III Marcus Aurelius, 1037. In 176 AD, Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus celebrated a joint triumph for the German victories in the first Marcomannic War. Commodus assumed the titles Sarmaticus and Germanicus. Some of the coins struck to commemorate this short-lived victory show a pile of captured, distinctly Germanic arms: Commodus, Roman Empire, sestertius, 177 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP L AVREL COMMODVS AVG [GERM] SARM; laureate and draped bust of Commodus r. Rev: T[R P] II COS [P]P; pile of Germanic arms (round and oblong shields, spears, war trumpets, scale armor, bows and standards?); in fields, S-C; in exergue, DE GERMANIS. 31mm, 21.84g. Ref: RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1570. Ex CNG, e-auction 142, lot 134; ex CNG, e-auction 447, lot 471. Smoothed.
Very cool, historical coin there, @Orielensis!! And a very neat reverse!! I have a rough As from just before that time when Commodus was still a Caesar, but just entering the College of the Pontiffs, as denoted with the reverse type: Commodus, Ruled 177-192 AD AE As, Struck 175-176 AD, Rome Mint Obverse: COMMODO CAES AVG FIL GERM SARM, Bust of Commodus, bare-headed, draped, right. Reverse: PIETAS AVG, Priestly implements: knife, aspergillum, jug, etc. SC in exergue. References: RIC III 1539, Cohen 405, BMC 1534 Size: 26mm, 10.5g Notes: Scare. Struck at the moment when his father received the titles of Germanicus and Sarmaticus thanks to his victories over the peoples of the Rhenish limes. Each priestly implement represented a different high priesthood (college) into which the Caesar or emperor had been adopted. And I'll throw in a smaller dupondius of your Mars reverse (different type): Marcus Aurelius, Ruled 161-180 AD AE Dupondius, Struck 170-171 AD, Rome Mint Obverse: IMP M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXV; Radiate head right. Reverse: COS III; Mars, helmeted, naked except for cloak flying behind, advancing right, holding spear in right hand and trophy over left shoulder in left hand. References: RIC III (M. Aurelius) 994, Cohen 129 Size: 24mm, 14.03g
Marcus Aurelius as Caesar. Ae Sestertius RIC 1234c 140-144 A.D. Rv Priestly implements 22.07 grms 36 mm
A consecration issue struck posthumous under Commodus: Æ Sestertius, Rome, 180 AD 27 x 30 mm, 20.13 g Ref.: RIC III Commodus 657, BMCRE 389, Cohen 85; Ob.: DIVVS M AN-TONINVS PIVS Bare head right Rev.: CONSECRATIO Eagle standing right on garlanded altar, one open wing, head left. S - C across field
My first Aurelius sestertius with Roma seated on a cuirass has an obverse field that seems more concave than the reverse making me wonder if it was the upper die rather than the anvil. I also have a Faustina II with this situation and would like to understand what I am seeing.