Antoninus Pius, 138-161 Aureus circa 147, AV 19.5mm., 6.93g. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS IIII Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust r. Rev. Roma, helmeted and draped, seated l., holding palladium on extended hand and vertical spear; oval shield set on ground. RIC 159. Strack 153γ1. Calicó 1456. BMCRE 590 var. (bust type).

Rare bust type for this issue. Minor marks on obv.; otherwise Good Very Fine.

EX CNG sale 100, 2015, 1875.

Although Antoninus Pius succeeded Hadrian as emperor of Rome, he truly was third or fourth down the line of preference. Hadrian’s first choice as successor was the nobleman Aelius, who was hailed Caesar in 136, but who died unexpectedly after a year in office. Hadrian then determined he would pass the throne to Aelius’ son Lucius Verus – then only seven years old – and to the 17-year-old Marcus Aurelius, who was a distant relative and a close companion. In truth the middleaged Antoninus Pius was merely a surrogate emperor in the eyes of Hadrian, and he remained truthful to his promise to act as guardian for Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Indeed, he was so faithful to the memory of Hadrian that he earned his surname "Pius" because he fought so diligently to convince the senate’s to deify Hadrian. Over the years of his own principate, Antoninus Pius groomed both as his eventual successors, and thus continued the tradition of adoptive succession. He enjoyed a productive and mostly peaceful reign, and unlike Hadrian, who travelled extensively, Antoninus Pius never once left Italy in his twenty-two years on the throne. Unlike the great variety of Hadrian’s coinage on which he celebrates his extensive travels, Antoninus’ reverse types are localized, and on occasion they reflect the attention he paid to the betterment of Rome and Italy.