Marcus Aurelius looking youthful

RIC 1238 - SEAR 4831
AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS
/ IVVENTAS SC
Dupondius or As
9.36g, 26mm, 143 AD

I've been looking all year for a nice AES coin of Marcus Aurelius as Caesar, and this one finally cropped up in time for me to buy it for myself from my wife as a birthday present. What more appropriate reverse could there be for the young Marcus than Juventas, the tutela of young men who had recently taken up the toga. This coin could possibly be a celebration of the anniversary of the coming of age of Marcus, and was also apparently associated with a ceremony in which the first beard growth is burnt as an offering to Juventas.

Post your Caesar issues or anything else you like!

 

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Nice addition! I also love the coins of Marcus Aurelius as Caesar. They remind me of one of my favorite antique correspondences between Marcus Aurelius and Fronto. I also like that you can see Marcus visibly aging on his coins as Caesar.

 

Gotta love a chance to show my Aurelius Caesar drachm...

Type: AE Drachm, 33mm, 22.95 grams of Alexandria

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. Somewhere I read there are only 9-10 examples of this type. Condition is not-so-hot but the portrait is still nice...though worn

 

Excellent coin!

Here is my MA as Caesar....

 

Nice coins - here is Marcus Aurelius as an idealistic young fella - before the Germans and a rotten son and too much Philosophy wore him down and made him cynical:



That's Spes tip-toeing through the tulips on the reverse.

 

Here's another image of the coin that was used by the seller. The reality is somewhere between the two images, and the green varies considerably depending on the light.

 

Is that the sestertius version @Bing ?

 

What a very nice and thoughtful gift from your wife! Also, (belated?) happy birthday to you. I recall you mentioning in another thread that you were expecting this coin gift, and I'm glad you got such a lovely example with great reverse detail.

I might have already stated this too often here on CT, but for me, the young Marcus Aurelius coins are a true highlight of Roman Imperial portraiture, and both your as and this denarius are good examples why.


Marcus Aurelius (as Caesar), Roman Empire, denarius, 140–144 AD, Rome mint. Obv: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS; head of Marcus Aurelius, bare, r. Rev: IVVENTAS, Iuventas (youth) standing l., dropping incense in candelabrum and holding patera. 17.5mm, 3.16g. Ref: RIC III Antoninus Pius 423a. Ex CNG.

 

Thank you @Orielensis , and yes she's a good one. The in-laws also got me a new coin case so it proved an excellent numismatic day.

I think the 140s must have had some superb engravers on the job in Rome. There are absolutely exceptional portraits of Antoninus, Marcus, and both the Faustina's in huge numbers. I love that I can get exceptional quality and style middle bronze coins of this era with varied reverse types for fairly modest prices when compared to other parts of the 2ndC.

 

Nice!

 

Yes it is. Here is what I have in my catalog:

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

 

Nice young one, @thejewk !

Her is my Marky Gold as Caesar (I think he just hit puberty, try to sport a sparse beard! - So PROUD of himself!):


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

 

I have an MA as caesar as well!



O AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F, bare head right R: TR POT COS II S-C, Minerva standing right, holding spear and resting hand on shield. RIC 1248 (Ant. Pius); Cohen 596; Sear 4811. Rome mint. 32 mm, 21.7 g.

 

Here is a denarius of Marcus Aurelius as Caesar and Antoninus Pius as Augustus. Ref: RIC III 411a, struck in 139 AD. Above Antoninus Pius there is an interesting mark. Could it be a test cut?

 

I knew I had something that fit this thread

 

Marcus Aurelius. As Caesar, 139-161 AD. Æ As (28mm, 10.74 gm, 6h). Rome mint. Struck under Antoninus Pius, 140-144 AD. Obv: Bare head right. Rev: Implements of the augurate and pontificate: secespita, aspergillum, guttus, lituus, and simpulum. RIC III 1240a (Pius).

 

Another young Marcus Aurelius as Caesar with a good portrait:

156-157 ad
RIC 470v

 

My denarius with Pietas and a youthful Marcus Aurelius like the As of @PeteB. That means that I will need to win/buy an As at some point:

AR Denarius, Rome 140 - 144 AD
16 x 18 mm, 3.16 g
Ref.: RIC III Antoninus Pius 424A; RSC 0451; RCV II 4786

Ob: AVRELIVS CAE-SAR AVG PII F COS, Head of Marcus Aurelius, bare, right
Rev.: PIETAS AVG Emblems of the augurate and pontificate: secespita, aspergillum, guttus, lituus and simpulum

​

and another youthful Marcus Aurelius:

AR Denarius, Rome 145 - 146 AD
16 x 17 mm, 3.36 g
Ref.: RIC III 429a Antoninus Pius; BMCRE 594 (Antoninus Pius); RSC 110c; Sear (1988) 1379;
Ob.: AVRELIVS CAE-SAR AVG PII F, Head of Marcus Aurelius, bare, right;
Rev.: CO-S II Honos togate, standing left, holding olive branch in right hand and cornucopiae in left.

​

 

Great OP coin! Lots of other very nice examples too. The favorite young Marcus portraits are Provincials.


MARCUS AURELIUS
AE Diassarion. 10.44g, 26mm, THRACE, Philippopolis, circa AD 139-161. Varbanov 805. O: Μ ΑVΡΗΛΙΟC ΟVΗΡΟC ΚΑΙCΑΡ, bare head of Marcus Aurelius to right, with neat beard. R: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ, Apollo, nude, standing left, holding a phiale in his right hand and his bow in his left.


MARCUS AURELIUS
Billon Tetradrachm. 12.86g, 24.5mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 13 of Antoninus Pius (AD 149/150). Emmett 1868.13 (R4); Dattari (Savio) 3185 = Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 169 = RPC Online temp #14367/7 (this coin). O: M AVPHΛIC • KAICAP, bareheaded and draped bust right. R: Zeus (‘Jupiter Capitolinus’) enthroned left, holding phiale in his extended right hand and scepter with his left; at his feet, eagle standing left, head right, wings closed; L IΓ (date) across upper field.
Ex Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection (purchased from Dr. Piero Beretta, Milan, April 1972); ex Dr. Piero Beretta Collection; ex Giovanni Dattari Collection