Description
Roman Empire. Lucius Verus, 161-169. Aureus 166, Rome. Gold 7.36 g.; 19.8 mm.
Obverse: Bust of Lucius Verus, laureate, cuirassed, right. Obverse caption: L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX // Reverse: Lucius Verus, in military uniform, on horse galloping right, brandishing spear in right hand; below, man on knees being trampled. Reverse caption: TR P VI IMP IIII COS II
RIC: III-567.
Superb and very rare Aureus! On the reverse, there are a few flat spots on the horseman and the horse's flanks, two small blows in the field above the horse's head and two traces of filing, one on the horseman's head and the other on his torso. The portrait of Lucius Verus is magnificent, perfectly centred and struck in high relief, with a few flat spots on the right on the laurel wreath but having kept almost all its details.
Extremely fine EF 40-45
Comment
This engraving gives him a very serious, conquering look, all the more emphasised by the cuirass he is wearing. It should be remembered that at the time the aureus was struck, in 166, he was completing his military campaigns in the Orient, particularly the Near East, on which he returned victorious and was carried off in triumph. Emphasis was therefore placed on these military victories through the reverse, which depicts him as the vanquisher over the enemy, associated with the magistracies and honours he received in the caption.
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