Antoninus Pius Dupondius RIC III Antoninus Pius 1037

Monetary Context and Denominational Function

During the mid-second century AD, the Roman imperial monetary system maintained the bimetallic and base-metal structural relationships established under the Augustan reforms. Within this hierarchy, the dupondius occupied a vital intermediate position between the smaller everyday copper as and the substantial brass sestertius. Valued at two asses or half a sestertius, eight dupondii constituted one silver denarius. The dupondius served as an essential coin of account and transaction in daily commercial exchanges throughout Italy and the western provinces, facilitating retail purchases, urban market trade, and everyday expenditures where fractional currency was required. By the reign of Antoninus Pius, the physical distinction between the dupondius and the as remained vital because both denominations possessed roughly comparable diameters, typically ranging between twenty-five and twenty-eight millimeters. While the Augustan system originally relied on compositional contrast between golden-toned brass (orichalcum) for dupondii and reddish copper for asses, metallurgical drift and the reuse of recycled alloy during the second century often reduced the visual contrast of freshly struck blanks. Consequently, the radiate crown functioned as a formal iconographic mark of value for the dupondius, preventing fraudulent confusion or accidental miscounting against the laureate as in daily circulation.

Mint Production and Metallurgical Characteristics

The entire regular production of base-metal senatorial coinage under Antoninus Pius was concentrated at the imperial mint of Rome. The mint operated under rigorous administrative control, deploying organized workshops (officinae) to execute synchronized emissions across precious and base metals. For the production of RIC III Antoninus Pius 1037, planchets were cast in open or two-part molds and hammered into finished blanks prior to hot striking between engraved bronze dies. The metallic composition intended for the dupondius series was orichalcum, an alloy composed predominantly of copper with a zinc component that historically varied between ten and twenty percent, though second-century analyses frequently demonstrate declining zinc levels alongside minor lead and tin impurities resulting from repeated smelting of reclaimed bronze. Typical weight standards for dupondii during this emission clustered broadly around eleven to thirteen grams, though individual surviving specimens naturally exhibit variance due to adjusted manual flan preparation and subsequent centuries of environmental wear. Die alignment across the Antonine aes issues commonly favored an inverted or upright vertical relationship, reflecting standardized mechanical practices in the central mint.

Obverse Iconography and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC III Antoninus Pius 1037 presents a mature, dignified right-facing portrait of Antoninus Pius wearing the radiate crown of the sun god Sol. Rendered in the classical, idealized naturalism characteristic of Antonine official art, the portrait features carefully drilled locks of hair and a full, neatly trimmed beard that aligns with the philhellenic stylistic conventions popularized during the preceding reign of Hadrian. The facial expression conveys the traditional Roman virtues of gravitas, pietas, and clementia, which were central to the ideological self-representation of Antoninus Pius throughout his long and remarkably peaceful rule. The radiate crown serves simultaneously as a technical denomination marker and as a cosmic symbol associating the imperial office with divine solar favor. Surrounding the portrait, the circumscription runs clockwise from the lower left, enclosed within an outer beaded border that delimits the die face.

Reverse Typology and Religious Symbolism

The reverse type portrays the emperor engaged in a state religious rite, standing facing left with his head and body veiled in accordance with the customary Roman sacrificial practice (capite velato). In his right hand, Antoninus Pius extends a shallow ritual patera to pour a liquid libation over a lighted tripod altar placed before him on the ground. His left arm rests passively at his side, holding folds of his toga. This sacrificial composition exemplifies the imperial duty of the pontifex maximus acting as chief mediator between the Roman state and the gods. The specific context for this rite is elucidated by the accompanying legend commemorating the vota suscepta for a third decade of rule. Imperial vota ceremonies entailed solemn public vows made to Jupiter Optimus Maximus and the Capitoline triad, seeking divine protection and prosperity for the emperor and the empire in exchange for fulfilled ritual obligations. Flanking the lower fields across the tripod and the standing figure are the letters S and C, denoting the constitutional sanction of the Senate.

Epigraphy and Imperial Titulature

The inscriptions on RIC III Antoninus Pius 1037 provide precise historical and administrative documentation. The obverse legend reads ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXIII, abbreviating the titles Antoninus Augustus Pius, Pater Patriae, Tribunicia Potestate XXIII. This formulation emphasizes his primary imperial cognomen, his title as Father of the Fatherland, and his twenty-third renewal of tribunician power, the constitutional foundation of his civil authority. The reverse inscription reads VOTA SVSCEPTA DEC III COS IIII, completed by S C in the field. This legend expands as Vota Suscepta Decennalia III, Consul IV, Senatus Consulto. The text explicitly records the solemn undertaking of the third set of decennial vows (vota decennalia) marking the approach of twenty-four to thirty completed years of reign, executed while the emperor held his fourth consulship. The presence of S C (Senatus Consulto) confirms that the issue belonged to the traditional senatorial branch of coinage, signifying harmonious constitutional cooperation between the emperor and the senatorial order.

Typological Series and Chronological Placement

The chronological window for RIC III Antoninus Pius 1037 is securely anchored by the record of the emperor's twenty-third tribunician power. Antoninus Pius initially received the tribunicia potestas on 25 February AD 138, but subsequent renewals occurred annually on 10 December. Consequently, TR P XXIII commenced on 10 December AD 159 and extended through 9 December AD 160. During this operational year, the Rome mint produced a coordinated suite of vota issues celebrating both the discharge of previous vows (vota soluta) and the undertaking of upcoming vows (vota suscepta). The decennial cycle formed a regular rhythmic motif in imperial propaganda, and the vows for a third decade (DEC III) anticipated the milestone of thirty years of rule, an ambition cut short by the emperor's death in March AD 161. Within the broader numismatic system, RIC III Antoninus Pius 1037 shares its core reverse iconography with parallel strikes in other metals and denominations, notably the sestertius (RIC III 1035) and the as, demonstrating coordinated thematic messaging across the mint's distinct production divisions.

Circulation Patterns and Monetary Life

Dupondii struck under Antoninus Pius circulated extensively throughout the Roman world, with archaeological findspots concentrated heavily in Italy, the Rhine-Danube frontier garrisons, and the urban centers of Roman Gaul and Britain. Because base-metal denominations were struck to support local commerce and military provisioning, coins of this type experienced protracted periods of physical circulation. Hoard evidence and site finds from Roman settlements reveal that middle-bronze denominations produced during the mid-second century often remained in active circulation for several decades, occasionally staying in use until the monetary disruptions of the mid-third century AD. Over time, prolonged handling, soil chemistry, and abrasive wear softened the delicate details of the radiate crown and the sacrificial apparatus on the reverse, often reducing specimens to smooth surfaces with only the outline of the emperor and fragmentary letters of the peripheral legends legible.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. pp. 343-345
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Antoninus Pius 1037. ric.3.ant.1037
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 153, no. 1037
4. Untersuchungen zur romischen Reichspragung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil III: Die Reichspragung zur Zeit des Antoninus Pius. no. 1184