Featured OTD: In 86 CE Mr. Perfect is born...but does anybody really care about Antoninus Pius?

WOW! What an exceptional portrait on that denarius!

 

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Happy Birthday Antoninus Pius

Silver coin (AR Denarius) minted at Rome during the reign of ANTONINUS PIUS in 146 A.D. Obv. ANTONINVS.AVG.PIVS.P.P.: laur. hd. r. Rev. COS.IIII.: Clasped hands holding caduceus, sometimes winged, between two corn-ears. RCS #1237. RSCII #344 pg.175. RICIII #136 pg.43. DVM #18/20. RCVSII #4078

 

I love collecting minor abberations of otherwise usual issues: here a laureate Pius and a bareheaded Aurelius on an example of the vast series of denarii introducing the young prince to the people. Usually sought after and therefore overpriced, but this one is priceless for me as Pius is adorned with an 'aegis' on his brest - a depiction of a Medusa-head with snakes all around. It is therfore a variant on RIC 417

 

Here's another unrecorded one on a RIC 530 reverse. The obverse must be later, so we speak of a hybrid coin. The celator paid more attention to the crawling snakes than to the head of Medusa. It is not a superb coin, but so far 'one of its kind'

 

Antoninus Pius Ae Sestertius 142 A.D. Obv Head right laureate ANTONINVS PIVS P.P. TR.P. COS. III Rv Thunderbolt. PROVEDENTIAE DEORVM S.C. RIC 618 23.63 grms 31 mm

 

Titus Aelius. Earlier coins often include "T AEL" making them easy to ID since he was the only Titus that used the name Antoninus. Antoninus Pius was selected to succeed Hadrian after the death of Aelius Caesar. Hadrian required Pius to adopt Aelius' son Lucius Verus as well as his own nephew Marcus Aurelius as a package deal to get the position. The boys were too young to rule then but Aurelius showed promise and Verus was the son of the man Hadrian wanted to succeed him.

This one even adds HADRI to the name T AEL CAES HADRI ANTONINVS.


Those unfamiliar with the story might want to research the dispute over the deification of Hadrian. Pius was the right man for the job but the last one that had the sense to select a proper successor rather than a natural child. I wonder who Marcus Aurelius might have selected had he no children and continued the adoptive string. Pertinax? How would Rome have changed?

 

i could easily be missing something - think the name Aelius came later (at adoption) and at birth he started out as Aurelius. AP was a man of many names. The Wikipedia agrees with EE Bryant - and adds an Arrius. At birth:
Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus
As Caesar:
Titus Aelius Antoninus Caesar
As Emperor:
Imperator Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius

 

I like Titus Aelius. Here goes my last acquisition of him:

 

Great thread and coins everyone. I do love a good AP, because his reign was peaceful and prosperous, not in spite of the fact. I have read it alleged, however, that his lax response to 'barbarian' inroads may well have been the primary cause of many of the problems during Marcus Aurelius' reign.

 

@TIF....Wonderful looking Drachms...I'm on the hunt for one at the moment...

 

Thanks, Spaniard! Since you like them, allow me to show off a few more.


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
Regnal year 8, CE 144/5
AE drachm, 33 mm, 23.2 gm
Obv: [legend]; laureate draped bust right
Rev: Serapis, wearing modius, standing facing; flanked by the Dioscuri who are also standing facing, heads turned towards Serapis, and each holding a flagellum ; [L] H in exergue
Ref: Dattari 2864 (RY2); Dattari-Savio plate 148 coins 2864 and 8724; Emmett 1670.8; Not listed in Milne.
Ex X6 Collection


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
year 8, 144/5 CE
AE drachm, 33 mm, 22.9 gm, Zodiac series, "Venus in Taurus"
Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right
Rev: bull butting left; above, diademed and draped bust of Aphrodite left; star before her; L H (date) in exergue
Ref: Emmett 1450.8


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
year 8, 144/5 CE
AE drachm, 32 mm, 22.43 gm, Zodiac series, Helios in Leo
Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right
Rev: Helios (Sun) in Leo: Lion leaping right; above, radiate and draped bust of Helios and six-pointed star; [L H below]
Ref: Köln 1495-6; Dattari (Savio) 2968; K&G 35.278; Emmett 1530.8
Ex Thomas Bentley Cederlind


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
Æ drachm (32mm, 23.0 g, 12h); RY 23 (CE 159/60)
Obv: Laureate bust right, slight drapery
Rev: Serapis-Agathodaemon serpent erect right on horseback advancing right; L K Γ (date) across field. Only the K is visible on this coin but this is the only year of issue for the type
Ref: Cf. Köln 1852-3; Dattari (Savio) 8939; K&G 35.820; Emmett 1679
Ex X6 Collection.

A tet:


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
regnal year 11 (147/8 CE)
billon tetradrachm, 23 mm, 14 gm
Obv: ANTωNEINOCCEB EVCEB; laureate draped bust right, seen from behind
Rev: Apollo Didymeus standing facing, holding quiver and stag; LENΔEKATOV around
Ref: Emmett 1358.11; RPC Online 14267; Dattari-Savio Pl. 108, 8084.

 

You have a beauuuutiful collection! Love those Zodiacs! New here and cant seem to find a Drool emoji.......Thanks for sharing....Paul

 

@Andres

I was looking at your beautiful denarius and the attribution RIC 305. Since I also have one of the type I checked my attribution, which is RIC III Antoninus Pius 181

The reverse legend on RIC 305 is SALVTI AVG COS IIII, http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.ant.305

This is mine with the reverse legend COS IIII - as I said not as beautiful as yours and my pictures are not good, but I think both are probably RIC III Antoninus Pius 181
http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.ant.181

17 x 18 mm, 2.86 g;
Rome 148 - 149 AD
Ob.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XII Head of Antoninus Pius, laureate, right
Rev.: COS - IIII Salus, draped, standing left, with patera in right hand feeding snake coiled round altar and holding rudder on globe in left

​

 

Clasped hands, early issue
17 x 16 mm, 3.21 g
Rome 139 AD
Ref.: RIC III Antoninus Pius 37; BMCRE IV 78; Cohen 100

Ob.: IMP T AEL CAES HADR ANTONINVS Head of Antoninus Pius, bare, right
Rev.: AVG PIVS P M T-R P CO-S II P P Clasped hands (dextrarum iunctio) holding winged caduceus and two corn-ears

 

CMEZNER I like your Providentiae Deorum sestertius very much. Hard to get and especially in such a fine condition!
Your denarius here above is part of a small and rare series that adds PP to the titulature. Here's mine, be it slightly different...with drapery on left shoulder and fold of cloak. (and an unkempt beard, but that doesn't count..)

 

I went through an Antoninus Pius phase a few years back and took a few photos last night - here's one:

Denarius
Obv. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP - Bare head right
Rev. TR POT COS II - Pax standing left holding branch and cornucopiae
Mint:Rome (139 AD)
References:

• RIC 51a
• RSC 857a

 

At the risk of being boring, here are 2 Antoninus Pius denarii featuring a modius. They are different! I like modius coins, but let's face it, some might find a bushel basket as not being the most inspired design ever.

But why the poppy? Did Rome have an opioid crisis?



Antoninus Pius Denarius
(138-139 A.D.)
Rome Mint
ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP, bare head right. / TR POT COS II, modius with two grain-ears and poppy.
RIC 58; RSC 874a.
(3.14 grams / 17 mm)



Antoninus Pius Denarius
(140-143 A.D.)
Rome Mint
ANTONINVS AVG PI[VS] PP TR P COS III, laureate head right / ANNONA AVG,
modius with two grain ears and two poppies.
RIC 62a; RSC 33; Sear 4050.
(3.17 grams / 16 mm)

 

Maybe to our modern eyes, but in ancient times humanity survived on bread. The modius was an important and powerful symbol. Its a wonder it wasn't portrayed even more than it was (along with Annona).

 

A hundred years or so before Pius.