I occasionally change avatars to someone new. The latest is L Verus. I am currently bidding on a sestertius of Verus so I can add the first example to my collection, and finish up my representative coins of the "adoptive" emperors. Hopefully it will be a win.
I like the new avatar, ACH. For reasons I cannot explain, Lucius Verus is one of my favorite collecting areas (I have about 30 or 80 "collecting areas"). I don't have very many of his coins, however, as they seem to be a bit expensive for my bottom-feeding budget. Here are a couple: An as with Liberalitas. This was very hard to photograph because it is so dark, but it is a bit odd in hand as it is in extremely high relief on the portrait side (most of my coins tend to be worn flat). A sestertius - it is in awful shape but I was really pleased with the portrait and the "ravages of time" partial patina (and gunk): A denarius with a dead & deified Lucius on the front. Not scarce exactly, but not nearly as common as the Antoninus Pius or Marcus Aurelius posthumous issues. Don't forget to post that new sestertius if you get it. I'd like to see it. And congratulations on completing your Adoptive Emperors set.
Historia Augusta is a bit of an ancient tabloid but includes a line which I believe makes sestertii the most appropriate coins of Lucius Verus. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Lucius_Verus*.html 7 It was his wont also to hurl large coins into the cook-shops and therewith smash the cups. Mars Aurelius and Verus
Good luck in the auction, @ancient coin hunter ! Lucius Verus, AD 161-169. Roman AR Denarius, 17 mm, 3.36g, 6h. Rome, AD 168. Obv: L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX, laureate head right. Rev: FORT RED TR P VIII IMP V COS III, Fortuna seated left, holding rudder and cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 586; BMC 477; Cohen 111; RCV 5350; MIR 170.
Nice patina. Lucius Verus. 161-169 AD. Æ Sestertius. (33mm; 26.53 gm; 11h). Rome mint. Struck 164 AD. Obv: L AVREL VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS, laureate head right. Rev: TR P IIII IMP II COS II, Mars advancing right, holding transverse spear and trophy over shoulder; S-C across field. RIC III 1379 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 78-16/10; Banti 153.
