True! Who doesn't like an elephant? Let's also point out that is on these coins of Pius that the legend MVNIFICENTIA, for the spirit of generosity, first appears on Roman coinage. And "munificent" is just a great word too.
Great coins shown in this thread!...... His Alexandrian coinage can (for me) have interesting reverses too... Zeus sitting on an eagle...Cool?
But wait! There's more! Ex Dattari. Euthenia reclining on sphinx, holding corn-ears and poppies, and sistrum, peplos filled with fruits.
Only considering Rome mint, I'd probably say most reigns have more interesting AE than AR. It is just an opinion but IMO the best coins of Pius are his Alexandrian AE which includes more great mythological scenes that you will find in any other place. They can be very expensive in poor condition. Commodus has more interesting Alexandrian tetradrachms but has a few good AE. The 'coins' to dream of for Commodus are his bimetallic medallions. There was a decent one in the last Triton but it had a condition problem on the reverse and went cheaply. The one in Triton XXIII was in better grade so it went for a more respectable number. https://www.cngcoins.com/Lots.aspx?...1&SEARCH_IN_CONTAINER_TYPE_ID_4=1&VIEW_TYPE=0
This has been a fun thread to follow. I haven’t participated because I don’t know that my favorite imperial example could be termed overly interesting relative to some of the others show. However I do think the reverse is appropriate to the emperor. 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 I’ll add an Egyptian drachm with what I consider a cool reverse. See my write up here. 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
If we're expanding to Provincials, here's an Antoninus Pius tetradrachm from Alexandria that does more than show a deity just standing around: it shows one (namely Isis) sitting down with a baby god (Harpocrates) on her lap, getting ready to nurse him. Antoninus Pius Billon Tetradrachm, Year 23 (159-160 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate and draped bust right, ΑΝΤѠΝΙΝΟϹ - ϹƐΒ ƐVϹƐΒ (counterclockwise from upper right) /Isis crowned with disk, horns, and plumes, seated right offering her right breast to crowned Harpocrates ["Horus-as-Child"] seated on her lap; Harpocrates extends his right hand towards her and holds lotus flower in left hand; crowned falcon [Horus] perched right on left end of back of throne, L - Γ [G] /K [= Year 23] across field. Emmett 1402.23; Milne 2403; Dattari (Savio) 2257; RPC IV.4 Online, 13938 (temporary) (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/13938); Köln (Geissen) 1842 [same dies, see RPC Online 13938 at the link provided, Example 3]. 21x28 mm., 11.67 g. Ex. Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 168th Buy or Bid Sale, March 16, 2010, Lot 475.
Well, I perhaps should not share this list with you, to avoid triggering your interest ;-) But ... If you must ask, I hope this helps: there are many interesting coins of Antoninus Pius! (Yes, it depends what you find interesting). For example: coins celebrating the adoption of MA; sestertii showing the provinces; the death and deification of Faustina (sad, but interesting); victories in Britain; and the most interesting set: coins celebrating the 900th anniversary of Rome. These coins are great, and display some of the myths that surround (the beginning of) the eternal city. Some coins of this series have been shown in this thread, such as the coin of @zumbly and @cmezner and @DonnaML. And then there are tempel coins! @Terence Cheesman has shown his, which is a beauty! But there's also the one I will add, below. And to conclude, the consecration issues! So, it's not just gods standing around (although a series of gods according to Clive Foss als refer to the 900th anniversary celebration, you could collect those), but it's a varied list of coins struck during the long reign of AP and which reverses tell a lot about events during his reign. So the real question now is: where to begin! This reverse refers to a revolt in Britain, for the suppression of which AP was hailed Imperator for a second time (143-144 AD):
Though I think non obviously rare coins are more interesting, here’s my single obviously rare Antoninus. If Liberalitas’ scenes are usually attractive, the third is very rare, and with drapery on left shoulder, unknown. RIC 608A var. (drapery on left shoulder) - C 489 var. (id.) 23.79g 32mm 12h As far I know, without considering the drapery variety, none appeared on OCRE, ACsearch, CNG, CGB.
I just got this coin delivered yesterday, my first platform scene. The obverse isn't great, but that's not why I got it. It is not a Liberalitas type, but rather an anepigraphic type with both Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius (as Caesar) in the platform, circa 140-144 AD during Aurelius' first consulship. Antoninus Pius AE Sestertius, Struck 140-144 AD, Rome mint Obverse: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, head, laureate, right Reverse: Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius seated left on sella castrensis on raised daïs, extending hand; to left and right, lictor standing, holding rod. SC in exergue. References: RIC 628a Size: 32mm, 24.6g To me it looks like Marcus Aurelius is the larger one on the left, where the right one looks bearded and smaller which seems more like Antoninus Pius. I especially like the detail of the ripples on the cloth that is on and flows off of the platform (cloth cover appears to be uncommon for this type). And it has some nicely detailed curule chairs (pretty ornate or complex compared to other examples) and wrinkled togas.
I think this coin is interesting, especially the reverse (I wanted an example of this type of reverse for a while) Antoninus Pius AD 138-161. Rome Denarius AR 19 mm., 2,90 g. RIC III Antoninus Pius 136 Date Range: AD 145 - AD 161 Obverse Legend: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P; Type: Head of Antoninus Pius, laureate, right Reverse Legend: COS IIII; Type: Clasped hands holding caduceus between two corn-ear
Shown before, but fits well in this thread: Antoninus Pius. ALEXANDRIA HARBOR SCENE. Alexandria, Egypt; dated 154/155 AD (year 18). Æ drachm (32 MM). Obv: Bust of Antoninus Pius, l. Rev: Isis Euploea standing facing, head left, holding grain ears upward in right hand, reversed rudder in her left. To her left, prow of galley with billowing sail, moving right, behind her. Another similar galley to her right moving left (neither visible in Emmett specimen). Euthenia reclining right to Isis' left and river-god Nilus holding rudder, reclining left on the right at her feet. Date “L – IH” across upper fields. Reverse like Emmett 1589; Milne 2290 variant; BMC 1173 variant; Dattari 2899, but obverse bust left. Traces of drapery on obverse bust, so Dattari-Savio 8776. Probably from the same obverse die. As such, the second known variety.
Wow, kind of surprised. When I think A Pius, I always go the zodiac series of coins produced in Alexandria, probably the most famous series of coins ever made for Roman Egypt. All very rare, and extremely desirable. One of the greatest auctions of Roman Egypt will be sold by Kunker soon. It actually has a complete set of 12, something I have never seen in one auction. Most of even the greatest collections around today of Roman Egypt coins do not contain all 12.
As you can tell from my avatar, I'm a big fan of Hadrian and have collected several of his travel series denarii. Antoninus Pius also had a couple of denarii with Italia on the reverse... one with "Italia" as the legend and the other with "Italia" in exergue. Both images show Italia seated facing left. I also like the "double-header" denarius of Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius like the one posted by @svessien. There are variations with a (smaller) younger and a (larger) more mature youthful bust of Marcus Aurelius. Both heads typically face right, but the coin I acquired has Marcus's head facing left. Not sure how scarce that variant is compared to the right-facing variety.
Another interesting coin I have (very interesting by all means) is this one. The interesting part is that I have no idea what it is, I suspect it's either Antoninus Pius or (more likely) Marcus Aurelius but that's all. Provincial? Imperial? Some collectors advised the reverse depicts Cybele but I wasn't able to find any match. It was in a lot of worn coins, but the rest of 12 were all Imperial and I was able to attribute them. For this one all I could write in my catalogue was "ancient coin, probably Marcus Aurelius or Antoninus Pius". Well... interesting
while the face with that old-looking eyes, beard and mustache looks like Antoninus Pius, the curly hair makes me doubt if it is Marcus!