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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kevin McGonigal, post: 7486224, member: 72790&quot;]Usually I try to acquire coins that are pleasant to look at. I prefer smooth surfaces and&nbsp; have no objection to just honest wear. I also prefer my brass and bronze to be on the light size with respect to color. Recently I acquired a coin that is probably just a mediocre and common coin, not one to write home about but it has a strange attraction for me. It is a coin of the Empress Lucilla, daughter of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina. It is either an As or a Dupondius, but it is doubtful which one. There are issues where the coins are alike except for metal and weight. It has the reddish brown patina of bronze but the weight, 14.2 grams is in the Dupondius range. Perhaps when issued it had a more brassy appearance, but not now. I did not touch up anything in the coin that I have below. That&#039;s the color it looks. So, why do I find this coin so alluring? Part of the appeal is the smooth and medium brown surface, the clear lettering and perhaps this is it, the kindly, almost childlike joyous expression of the young Lucilla, probably minted when she was married to Lucius Verus, Marcus Aurelius&#039; co-emperor. It is believed that all her coinage was minted when she was still a teen. She married Verus when about 14 years of age. She seems happy and content and if so I am glad for her as her future was not going to have a fairytale ending. As the brother of Commodus she was going to have a big problem with him when he ascended to the throne. Those familiar with movies, The Fall of the Roman Empire from the 1960&#039;s and the more recent Gladiator will recognize Lucilla from those two movies and understand the strained relationship between brother and sister. Eventually, she would be arrested and charged with treason for involvement in an assassination&nbsp; attempt, and was first exiled and then executed. There are some coins I just like to gaze at and wonder and this is one of those for me. Even the reverse of a dutiful Vesta tending to the altar&#039;s flame is fetching for me. The coin itself is Sear 5528, RIC (Marcus Aurelius 1780).[ATTACH=full]1295077[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1295081[/ATTACH] . Perhaps some of the readers here may have such a coin that they like to look at and perhaps reflect upon as well. If so, please share and tell us what is special about that coin.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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