Laureate bust / Antoninus sacrificing

Rome

RCV4076; 18mm, 3.27g

Praised by Romans and later by scholars of ancient history such as Edmund Gibbon as one of Rome’s great emperors Antoninus Pius was undoubtedly a skilled administrator. During his reign the empire, which was probably at its height, had ceased to expand and was largely at peace. Unlike Hadrian who travelled extensively throughout the empire Antoninus Pius never left Italy during his reign.

Born in AD 86 into a senatorial family Antoninus held various offices during Hadrian’s reign. He also married Hadrian’s niece, Faustina, so that when Hadrian’s heir Aelius died suddenly in AD 138 Antoninus was adopted as a son and named successor shortly before Hadrian died.

Antoninus, who had no military training, was renowned for building temples, theatres and other public works. He also promoted the arts and sciences and instigated a range of legal reforms which included measures to facilitate the enfranchisement of slaves. Financial help was giver to a number of cities which suffered disasters enabling them to rebuild and recover.

Whilst noted as a pious man he was tolerant of other religions including Christianity to whom he extended protection throughout the empire. He is even alleged to have converted to Christianity after a woman called Parakevi was charged with blasphemy and blamed for the evils that had befallen the empire. Despite being tortured she refused to renounce her faith even when Antoninus offered to marry her.

Antoninus led a modest lifestyle for an emperor and bequeathed substantial funds in the imperial treasury to his successors. Only 1 of his 4 children survived to adulthood and his wife Faustina died early in his reign in AD 141. He never remarried and was succeeded by Marcus Aurelius, a nephew of Faustina’s and Lucius Verus, who was a son of Aelius.

The post Antoninus Pius AD 138-161 Silver Denarius Rome appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Laureate bust right / Aequitas standing left with scales and cornucopiae

Rome

RCV4903; 19mm, 3.62g

Born in AD 121 as the nephew of the Empress Faustina Senior Hadrian recognised qualities and arranged for his marriage to the daughter of Aelius who had been appointed as Hadrian’s heir. When Aelius died prematurely Hadrian stipulated that his new heir, Antoninus Pius, adopt Marcus Aurelius together with his brother Lucius Verus as joint heirs.
When Antoninus Pius succeeded in AD138 Marcus’ career progressed rapidly and he was appointed Caesar in AD139. Marcus’ betrothal to Aelius’ daughter was annulled in favour of marrying the emperors youngest daughter Faustina Junior which he did in AD145.
Granted tribunician powers in AD147 Marcus became emperor in AD161.

The post Marcus Aurelius AD 161-180 Silver Denarius Rome appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Laureate bust right / Providentia standing left holding wand  in right hand over globe and with sceptre in left

Rome

RCV5709; 19mm, 2.75g

Commodus was the twin son of Marcus Aurelius. When his twin brother Antoninus died Commodus was left as sole heir after his younger brother Annius Verus also died in AD 170. Commodus was giver the rank of Caesar when he was only five and became the only emperor to succeed his father since Titus succeeded Vespasian.
Created Augustus by his elderly father coinage was regularly minted in his name from around AD177. Commodus was a weak and dissolute character and proved to be the unworthy son of a noble father. Abandoning his troops he moved back to Rome where he soon fell under the influence of favourites. He was fortunate that a rebellion in northern Britain was supressed by Ulpius Marcellus who gained Commodus the honorary title Britannicus.
In his later years Commodus appears to have become insane believing himself to be the reincarnation of Hercules. He disgraced his rank by fighting wild beasts in the Colosseum and even tried to rename Rome as Colonia Commodiana. There were frequent plots against him until he was eventually strangled in his own palace.
Commodus oversaw the debasement of the silver coinage which was reduced in both weight and purity during his reign.

The post Commodus AD 177-192 Silver Denarius Rome appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Laureate bust right / Providentia standing

Rome

RCV6046; 17mm, 2.20g

Pertinax was born in Liguria around AD 126. His father was a freed slave who achieved success through becoming a timber merchant. Initially Pertinax was a school master who later joined the military where he was well placed to gain promotion in the Eastern wars of the 160’s. Appointed to the Senate by Marcus Aurelius Pertinax served his first consulship in AD 175 before being appointed governor of several important provinces. Whilst he fell out of favour with Commodus he was recalled to take charge of a difficult situation in Britain where the army was in a mutinous state. By the time Commodus was assassinated in AD 192 Pertinax was both consul and city prefect of Rome making him the obvious choice to succeed.
Pertinax quickly tried to address some of the ills which had befallen the state under Commodus however this made him very unpopular particularly as he was a strict disciplinarian. Matters came to a head when he was murdered by members of the Praetorian guard after less than 3 months on the throne.

The post Pertinax AD 193 Silver Denarius Rome appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Laureate bust right / Stars within crescent

Rome

RCV3485; 19mm, 3.37g

Like his predecessor, Trajan, Hadrian was born in Spain around AD76. He entered Trajan’s household by marrying Sabina who was daughter of Trajan’s favourite niece Matidia. As a young man he had a military career and by the time of Trajan’s death in AD 117 Hadrian was governor of Syria. As Trajan was childless Hadrian was strongly backed as heir by the army as well as Trajan’s empress Plotina.
Hadrian was keen to experience the diverse peoples of his massive empire and as a result much of his reign was spent travelling. Unlike Trajan who pursued an expansionist policy Hadrian thought that the empire needed to be consolidated and as a result initiated the construction of an elaborate frontier system. In Britain this took the form of the construction of Hadrian’s Wall and the withdrawal of troops from Southern Scotland.
Hadrian was an able administrator and initiated several major building works which included the construction of the Pantheon in Rome. Whilst considered to be one of Rome’s great emperors he could at times be cruel and vindictive. Hadrian was particularly fond of Greek culture and it was while touring his eastern provinces that he met Antinous, a youth who became a favourite. Accompanying Hadrian on many of his tours Antinous was greatly mourned when he accidentally drowned in the Nile. The great Jewish revolt which was a major event took place towards the end of Hadrian’s reign. The revolt resulted in great loss of life and destruction. Jews were excluded from Jerusalem which was rebuilt as a pagan city.
The coinage of Hadrian is particularly diverse with many reverse types commemorating the Empires provinces and the interest taken in them by the emperor. Hadrian also produced posthumous issues honouring Trajan and Plotina as well as his own wife Sabina and his favourite Antinous.

The post Hadrian AD 117-138 Silver Denarius Rome appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Laureate bust right/Mars advancing with spear and trophy

Rome

19mm, 3.44g

Trajan was born in Spain around AD 53. Trajan had a military career as a young man and as a legionary commander in AD 88/89 he was involved in the suppression of a revolt in Upper Germany. In AD 91 he held his first consulship before being adopted as heir to Nerva in AD 97. The next year he was crowned emperor.
Trajan’s reign is one of military glory and conquest. He did not conceal his ambition to emulate Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. One of Trajan’s main conquests was the Kingdom of Dacia in AD 107. This achievement was commemorated by the erection of Trajan’s column in Rome. Trajan later went on to conquer Arabia although his main ambition was to destroy Rome’s great rival the Parthian Kingdom in Persia. However, his failing health and a Jewish revolt forced him to abandon this project and Trajan died on his way back to Rome in AD 117.
Trajan issued coinage on a vast scale commemorating not only his military victories but also other achievements. It was during Trajan’s reign that coinage issued prior to Nero was demonetized and melted down. In doing so a series of restoration coins were produced reviving some of the principal Republican denarius types as well as aurei which commemorate certain rulers in Rome’s past.

The post Trajan AD 98-117 Silver Denarius Rome appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Laureate bust right / Galley left

Rome

RCV3491; 17mm, 3.25g

This coin comes with a previous dealers printed label

Like his predecessor, Trajan, Hadrian was born in Spain around AD76. He entered Trajan’s household by marrying Sabina who was daughter of Trajan’s favourite niece Matidia. As a young man he had a military career and by the time of Trajan’s death in AD 117 Hadrian was governor of Syria. As Trajan was childless Hadrian was strongly backed as heir by the army as well as Trajan’s empress Plotina.
Hadrian was keen to experience the diverse peoples of his massive empire and as a result much of his reign was spent travelling. Unlike Trajan who pursued an expansionist policy Hadrian thought that the empire needed to be consolidated and as a result initiated the construction of an elaborate frontier system. In Britain this took the form of the construction of Hadrian’s Wall and the withdrawal of troops from Southern Scotland.
Hadrian was an able administrator and initiated several major building works which included the construction of the Pantheon in Rome. Whilst considered to be one of Rome’s great emperors he could at times be cruel and vindictive. Hadrian was particularly fond of Greek culture and it was while touring his eastern provinces that he met Antinous, a youth who became a favourite. Accompanying Hadrian on many of his tours Antinous was greatly mourned when he accidentally drowned in the Nile. The great Jewish revolt which was a major event took place towards the end of Hadrian’s reign. The revolt resulted in great loss of life and destruction. Jews were excluded from Jerusalem which was rebuilt as a pagan city.
The coinage of Hadrian is particularly diverse with many reverse types commemorating the Empires provinces and the interest taken in them by the emperor. Hadrian also produced posthumous issues honouring Trajan and Plotina as well as his own wife Sabina and his favourite Antinous.

The post Hadrian AD 117-138 Silver Denarius Rome Galley left appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Laureate bust right/Providentia standing holding globe and cornucopiae

Rome

RCV4925; 17mm, 2.68g

Born in AD 121 as the nephew of the Empress Faustina Senior Hadrian recognised qualities and arranged for his marriage to the daughter of Aelius who had been appointed as Hadrian’s heir. When Aelius died prematurely Hadrian stipulated that his new heir, Antoninus Pius, adopt Marcus Aurelius together with his brother Lucius Verus as joint heirs.
When Antoninus Pius succeeded in AD138 Marcus’ career progressed rapidly and he was appointed Caesar in AD139. Marcus’ betrothal to Aelius’ daughter was annulled in favour of marrying the emperors youngest daughter Faustina Junior which he did in AD145.
Granted tribunician powers in AD147 Marcus became emperor in AD161.

The post Marcus Aurelius AD 161-180 Silver Denarius Rome appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Galley / Eagle, standards

Rome

RCV5236; 17mm, 2.98g

This coins comes with a previous printed dealers label.

Born in AD 121 as the nephew of the Empress Faustina Senior Hadrian recognised qualities and arranged for his marriage to the daughter of Aelius who had been appointed as Hadrian’s heir. When Aelius died prematurely Hadrian stipulated that his new heir, Antoninus Pius, adopt Marcus Aurelius together with his brother Lucius Verus as joint heirs.
When Antoninus Pius succeeded in AD138 Marcus’ career progressed rapidly and he was appointed Caesar in AD139. Marcus’ betrothal to Aelius’ daughter was annulled in favour of marrying the emperors youngest daughter Faustina Junior which he did in AD145.
Granted tribunician powers in AD147 Marcus became emperor in AD161.

Lucius Verus was the son of Aelius and was born around AD 130. Following the death of Aelius Lucius Verus was adopted by the new emperor Antoninus Pius along with Marcus Aurelius. This arrangement had initially been stipulated by Hadrian before he died.
Antoninus Pius clearly favoured Marcus Aurelius and gave him the rank of Caesar in AD 139. This bond was strengthened when Marcus Aurelius in AD 145 married Faustina Junior who was the daughter of Antoninus Pius. Originally however Faustina had been betrothed to Lucius Verus. Whilst Lucius Verus remained in the background he held the consulship in AD 154 although he never held the rank of Caesar. When Antoninus Pius died in AD 161 Marcus Aurelius, in loyalty to Hadrian, made Lucius Verus a co emperor.
In AD 164 Lucius Verus married Lucilla, the daughter of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina. Although Lucius Verus was in nominal command of a war in the East earning him the titles Armeniacus and Parthicus Maximus he seems to have been more of a liability than a help due to his pleasure loving and dissolute nature. On the journey back from the east Lucius suffered a stroke and died suddenly in AD 169. Although a posthumous coinage was issued it was very limited.

The post Marcus Aurelius & Lucius Verus AD 168-169 Silver Denarius Rome *Rare* appeared first on Silbury Coins.

Laureate bust right/Providentia standing holding globe

Rome

RCV4925; 18mm, 2.79g

Born in AD 121 as the nephew of the Empress Faustina Senior Hadrian recognised qualities and arranged for his marriage to the daughter of Aelius who had been appointed as Hadrian’s heir. When Aelius died prematurely Hadrian stipulated that his new heir, Antoninus Pius, adopt Marcus Aurelius together with his brother Lucius Verus as joint heirs.
When Antoninus Pius succeeded in AD138 Marcus’ career progressed rapidly and he was appointed Caesar in AD139. Marcus’ betrothal to Aelius’ daughter was annulled in favour of marrying the emperors youngest daughter Faustina Junior which he did in AD145.
Granted tribunician powers in AD147 Marcus became emperor in AD161.

The post Marcus Aurelius AD 161-180 Silver Denarius Rome appeared first on Silbury Coins.