Description
Roman Empire. Antoninus Pius, 138-161. Aureus 140-143, Rome. Gold 7.08 g.; 19 mm.
Obverse: Bust of Antoninus Pius, bare headed, draped, cuirassed, right. Obverse caption: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III //
Reverse: Antoninus Pius, togate, seated left on chair (sella curulis) set on low platform on right, extending right hand and holding volumen in left; by him, Liberalitas, standing left, holding account board (abacus) in right hand and cornucopiae in left; in front, citizen standing right, holding out fold of toga. Reverse caption: LIBERALITAS AVG III
RIC III Antoninus Pius 75b.
Several marks on the edge (12h, 2h, 3h on the right). On the right, scuff marks on the toga, on the "PIVS" and several on the face of the portrait; on the reverse, several scuff marks on the figure of the seated emperor and on Liberalitas, the "A" of "AVG", on the grenetis at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock.
Scuffs. Edge marks. Brushed. NGC graded Ch XF Strike 5/5, Surface 2/5, Fine style
Comment
Magnificent specimen of the issues in the type of the emperor's "Liberalitas". Here, the engraver depicts the emperor in one of his characteristic virtues: liberality, i.e. the distribution of wealth to the people, often money.
This is an essential part of imperial propaganda and of the image of the emperor perceived by the entire population of the empire, and in particular the people of Rome. It is a frequent theme in imperial representations, of which we have here a superb scene, for one of the emperors who represented for his successors a "model emperor", or "optimus principi".
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