Antoninus Pius: greatest we know little about/Feeling spooky might delete

Though a low budget

(You're welcome for this hidden rock jem)

coin purchased in my early collecting mania, I always proudly share my first Antoninus Pius Denarius.
Despite having been handled more times than my fridge door and having more cracks than my psyquee, this coin just has that unexplainable spooky


look some coins just have that set them apart. Just what HAS this coin seen!?!?

Antoninus Pius
Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD). AR Denarius (18 mm, 3.39 g), Roma (Rome), 153-154 AD.
Obv. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVII, laureate head right.
Rev. COS IIII, Vesta standing holding simpulum and Palladium.
RIC III, 229b.
Nicely toned

And then I found one that scared me more on sale, from...Heritage auctions!
I thought for sure I would get blown out of the water like I just was at Nomos and ANC:

(Actual footage of me earlier this week)

But met limited resistance from one of the most watched auction houses around
And finally UPGRADED my Ant Pie without losing that spooky...

Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161). AR denarius (18mm, 12h). NGC XF, light scratches. Rome, AD 158/9. ANTONINVS AVG-PIVS P P TR P XXII, laureate head of Antoninus right / VOTA SOL-DEC II-COS IIII, emperor, togate, standing facing, veiled head left, sacrificing from patera in right hand over altar at left, globe at feet, bucranium at base left of altar. RIC III 291b. Purchased from Heritage Auction June 2021 HID09801242017

If you just messed your pants it's... understandable. I warned you that it was spooky... and the coin is stupid sexy. I get it
As a favor, here are a few facts that we do know about this amazing and rare emperor that reigned an incredible 22 peaceful years, never leaving Rome, but sadly, with so little written about him surviving compared to near all of his predecessors, some of the facts are these:


It's all right. Nothing spooky going on here...

N'night

I'd love to see your spooky cool coins, Ant Pies, upgrades or anything that ROCKS... peacefully

 

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..i was just listening to the Clash, train in vain...them, the kinks and classics IV (featuring Dennis Yost! ) are a few of the all time greats..i just took(retook) a pic of 7 of the 5(6) for gamers thread ...so's heres Atoni Pi in the group...the one with the spooky funeral pyre

 

Antoninus Pius - AE As - Felicitas

Antoninus Pius - denarius

 

Something different is a little tiny 14mm Philippopolis assarion:



The Artemis reverse is one of my favorites; shame it's not higher grade

 

My latest Antoninus Pius is very scared or impatient





This one looks quite spooky too



I have quite a number of Antoninus Pius coins, since my collection is not large, I think I like this the most, especially the portrait, but I always wanted this reverse type also.

 

spooky bronze:



nice denarius imho:

 

Nice upgrade. Congratulations! But I must admit that I quite like your old Pius as well. I wonder... Mushrooms? Extacy? LSD? Whatever it was, it worked...

I got my one and only A.P. a few weeks ago. He came as a lucky bycatch with Serapis, whose bust I was really after. Not the best AP perhaps, but I'm more than happy with the reverse. I'm really beginning to appreciate these Alexandrian coins; so far they've all exceeded my expectations: high reliefs, interesting motifs, (all even better in hand!), and a pleasant way of combining the 'mundane' Roman elements with a hint of the exotic ( I've never been to Egypt and I'm mostly ignorant of the culture, so the pantheon and mythology are new and wildly exotic to me).

Also, look at that eye... That glassy look... Probably up late with your 'old' A. Pius last night.

 

You will not find a Pius worse/spookier than this.

 

..that's a kool one Ig!

 

When you see a post from @Ryro, you know you're not just going to read something interesting and educational, or that you'll see some cool and freaky coins, but you're going to experience a mind-blowing, multi-media extravaganza!



I like your new denarius! It's of historical interest, too. AD 158 was the 20th anniversary of Antoninus' reign, and was an opportunity for indicating that new vows had been made (vota suscepta) and old vows had been fulfilled (vota soluta). Pius issued complementary coins depicting each situation. They had similar reverse types, but those for the vota soluta depicted a sacrificial bull behind the tripod, for the sacrifice was the result of vows being fulfilled. The bucranium on your coin is an important feature of the iconography.

Here's a similar sestertius from my numophylacium. Vota Suscepta (no sacrificial bull's head):


Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.27 g, 31.4 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 158/9.
Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXII, laureate head, right.
Rev: VOTA SVSCEPTA DEC III S C, Antoninus, veiled, standing l., sacrificing from patera over tripod-altar and holding roll by side; COS IIII in ex.
Refs: RIC 1010; BMCRE 2068-2069; Cohen 1124; Strack 1171; RCV 4262.

Vota soluta (therefore WITH the bull's head; BMCRE 2067, reading VOTA SOL on the reverse. Photo from the British Museum):

 

Ryro Productions puts Mark Goodson/Bill Todman to shame

 

Wasn't aware about the design difference between VOTA SOLUTA and VOTA SVSCEPTA. Another interesting info provided my @Roman Collector
I think this situation (bull behind) is similar wth the Faustina VENVS denarius with the dolphin, that I couldn't see at all.

Here is my favorite Dupondius



RIC III Antoninus Pius 1020
From Date: AD 158 To Date: AD 159
Legend: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXII
Type: Head of Antoninus Pius, radiate, right
Legend: VOTA SVSCEPTA DEC III COS IIII S C
Type: Antoninus Pius, standing left, sacrificing with patera over tripod, left arm at side

 

I like that new one, @Ryro. It has a lovely antique look. The zombie-eyed Pius on the first one is great too. Three hauntingly spooky A-Pi Alexandrians...


ANTONINUS PIUS
AE Drachm. 23.36g, 34.1mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 2 (AD 138/9). RPC Online Temp #14776; Emmett 1652 (R5); Geissen 1299 . O: ΑVΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟС ƐVСƐΒ, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: L Β, draped bust of Sarapis wearing kalathos, facing front; on either side, the Dioskuroi, each crowned with star, standing, facing, heads turned towards bust, holding spears and whips.


ANTONINUS PIUS
AE Drachm. 21.47g, 33.2mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 14 (AD 150/1). Emmett 1683.14; Dattari 2904; RPC Online 13706. O: Laureate head right, traces of drapery on shoulder. R: Triptolemos, wearing elephant-head cap, holding seeds in chlamys, driving biga drawn by winged serpents, right; L ID in field.
Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1982.2066)


ANTONINUS PIUS
AE Drachm. 28.01g, 36.4mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 8 (AD 144/5). Menelaites Nome. RPC Online Temp 13971/78 (this coin). O: AVT K T AIΛ AΔP ANTωNЄINOC CЄB ЄVC, laureate head right. R: MЄNЄΛAЄITHC, Harpokrates of Canopus (part human, part crocodile) left, holding finger on right hand before mouth, cornucopia on left arm; altar before, L H (date) in exergue.
Ex Phil Peck (“Morris”) Collection

 

That is an excellent upgrade, my friend. Any Pius is a good Pius.

My former spookiest Pius was actually so spooky that I had to send him to live with @Orielensis . Though I hear that spooky Pius haunts him wherever he goes now...


Though perhaps not as scary here are a few of my favorite Pius in a few denominations.


Roman Empire
Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161
AR Denarius, Rome mint, Struck ca. AD 140-143
Wt.: 3.01 g
Dia.: 17 mm, 6h
Obv.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR P COS III; Laureate head right
Rev.: AEQVITAS AVG; Aequitas standing left, holding scales and sceptre
Ref.: RIC III 61; RSC 14



Egypt, Alexandria
Antoninus Pius
BI Tetradrachm, Alexandria mint, RY 11 = AD 147/8.
Dia.: 24 mm
Wt.: 13.81 g
Obv.: ANTωNEINOC CEB EYCEB, Laureate bust right
Rev.: L ENΔEKATOV, Elpis standing left, lifting hem of skirt and holding flower
Ref.: Dattari-Savio pl. 111, 8160 (this coin illustrated); Emmett 1383.11; RPC Online IV temp #13607 (this coin cited).
Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1981.511); ex Giovanni Dattari Collection (1853-1923)


Egypt, Alexandria
Antoninus Pius
AE Drachm, Alexandria mint, struck RY 13 (AD 149/50)
Dia.: 34.2 mm
Wt.: 23.9 g
Obv.: ΑVΤΚΤΑΙΛΑΔΡΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟCEBEVC; Laureate head right
Rev.: TPIKA (date) IϚ (16); Nilus reclining left holding reed and cornucopia from which emerges a pekheis; crocodile below; L in left field
Ref.: Emmett 1621.13
Ex Theodosius Collection

 

Only thing scary about this one is how porous it is, and the boar.

Ionia, Ephesos. Antoninus Pius AE19. Boar
Obv: ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ΑΝΤΩΝƐΙΝΟϹ. Laureate head right.
Rev: EΦECIΩN. Boar advancing right, pierced by spear.
RPC 1122.

 

Fun thread @Ryro, here's Antoninus Pius collection for the collection - maybe not all that scary, with interesting legend spacing - O - and unusually heavy compared with the three in RPC.

Egypt, Alexandria, Antoninus Pius, 138-161 Tetradrachm, circa 153-154 (year 17, the only year this type was issued), billon, 21.5mm, 14.1g
Obv: ANTUNIN - O - C CЄB ЄVCЄB, laureate head right, slight drapery
Rev: Tyche reclining on couch, left, wearing kalathos, resting hand on rudder; in field, LIZ
Ref: RPC Online 13778; Dattari 2390

 

The volcano is a pretty spooky place!