004b Antoninus Pius

Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161.

Denomination: Sestertius

Diameter: 35mm,

Weight: 26.51 g

Rome mint. Struck circa AD 141-143.

Obverse: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III; Laureate head 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.

Reference: RIC III 628

Provenance: From the CLA Collection, purchased from RCCA/Saslow, December 1993.

Note: This interesting and very rare reverse type commemorates the joint consulship of Antoninus and Marcus in 140 AD. Similar types commemorated the proclamation of Titus and Domitian as joint Caesars under Vespasian, BMCRE, pl. 31.9; the joint consulship of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus in 161, BMCRE, pl. 54. 8 and pl. 75.6; the joint consulship of Septimius Severus and Caracalla in 202, with legend AVGVSTI COS, BMCRE, pl. 48.9; the joint consulship of Caracalla and Geta in 205, with legend IMP ET CAESAR AVG FILI COS, BMCRE, pl. 34.1; and the joint consulship of the same two princes in 208, BMCRE, p. 271. 

Sella castrensis = the campstool, the military version of the Roman sella curulis, a chair reserved for the highest Roman officials.

Sammlung : 30 Roman Sestertii, asses and dupondii