Antoninus Pius Dupondius RIC III Antoninus Pius 1035

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

During the mid-second century AD, the Roman imperial monetary system functioned as a multi-tiered bimetallic and base-metal currency network anchored to the silver denarius and gold aureus. Within this framework, base-metal coinage fulfilled an essential role for daily domestic market transactions, local trade, and the provision of minor change. The dupondius held a standard tariff of two asses, making it worth half a sestertius or one-eighth of a denarius. Under the monetary structure established during the Augustan reforms and continued into the Antonine period, the dupondius was systematically struck in orichalcum, a golden-toned copper-zinc alloy, whereas the lower-value as was struck in pure reddish copper. To prevent confusion between coins of roughly comparable diameter and module, imperial mint practice mandated specific visual conventions. The radiate crown worn by the emperor served as the primary diagnostic attribute marking the double denomination on middle bronzes, setting the dupondius immediately apart from the laureate or bare-headed as. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1035 belongs to this regular denominational tier, issued under the formal constitutional authority of the Senate as signified by the letters S C. In the late 150s AD, base-metal output remained substantial, supporting commercial liquidity across Rome and the provincial markets without immediate signs of the severe debasement or volumetric stress that would later characterize the Severan and mid-third-century crises.

Production and Mint Organization

The entire regular production of RIC III Antoninus Pius 1035 was executed at the central imperial mint in Rome. During the reign of Antoninus Pius, base-metal coinage struck with senatorial formula was produced under tight centralized supervision within the capital. The mint operated with structured officinae or workshops responsible for engraving dies, preparing blanks, and striking flans. Blanks for orichalcum middle bronzes were cast in open or bivalve molds and frequently adjusted prior to striking, producing flans that typically ranged around 26 to 28 millimeters in diameter, with median weights normally falling between 11.5 and 14.5 grams, although noticeable variances occurred due to batch-weight targeting rather than individual coin precision. Die alignment was predominantly upright or near-inverted along the six o'clock or twelve o'clock axes, consistent with standard imperial mechanical striking practices. Engravers at the Rome mint worked from standardized imperial prototypes to produce cohesive obverse portrait dies, while reverse dies depicting multi-figure allegorical scenes required delicate cutting skills to accommodate the personification of Pietas alongside three separate children. Surviving specimens show varying degrees of die wear, illustrating continuous die usage across the striking period of TR P XXIII.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC III Antoninus Pius 1035 displays the right-facing head of Antoninus Pius wearing a radiate crown. By the year AD 159, Antoninus had occupied the imperial office for over two decades, and the iconographic presentation had matured into an established canonical portrait. The portrait style eschews extreme verism in favor of an idealized, serene majesty, featuring carefully arranged curls in the hair, a neatly groomed, full beard, and calm facial contours that projected stability, moderation, and pietas. The radiate crown sits firmly on the head, with clear, spikes projecting upward and outward; this solar attribute had developed from an early dynastic emblem into the definitive denominational marker for the dupondius since the Julio-Claudian era. The composition is tightly enclosed by the marginal inscription running clockwise from the lower left. The engraving maintains harmonious proportions between the bust and the border, ensuring that the lettering remains distinct from the radiating spikes of the crown.

Reverse Design and Allegorical Program

The reverse iconography of this issue presents an intricate narrative tableau centered on Pietas, the personification of duty, religious devotion, and familial affection. Pietas stands facing left, draped in a traditional stola and mantle. In her outstretched right hand she holds a globe, an explicit symbol of world dominion and universal care, while her left arm cradles a young child. Flanking her on either side are two additional small children, both standing facing left and raising their right hands in an attitude of adoration, greeting, or supplication. In the field, flanking the lower section of the composition, the abbreviation S C is prominently displayed. This complex reverse composition unites two core ideological concepts: divine devotion and imperial fecundity. While Antoninus Pius and his deceased empress Faustina the Elder had experienced the loss of children prior to his accession, the motif celebrated the broader imperial household, notably the young children of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina the Younger. Additionally, the depiction resonated with state-sponsored welfare programs such as the Puellae Faustinianae, portraying the Antonine administration as a nurturing guardian providing security and sustenance to Roman youth under cosmic sanction.

Epigraphy and Legend Analysis

The inscriptions on RIC III Antoninus Pius 1035 provide exact chronological markers and reinforce the official imperial messaging. The obverse legend reads ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXIII in continuous script along the outer rim. The sequence opens with the emperor's adopted name Antoninus, followed by Augustus and the cognomen Pius, which had been conferred by the Senate at the beginning of his reign. The formula continues with P P for Pater Patriae (Father of the Fatherland), followed by TR P XXIII denoting the twenty-third renewal of his tribunician power. The reverse bears the inscription PIETATI AVG COS IIII, complemented by S C across the lower fields. PIETATI AVG represents the dative of dedication, reading 'To the Piety of the Emperor', dedicating the virtue and its public manifestations to Antoninus Pius. COS IIII records his fourth consulship, entered in AD 145, which remained his final consular appointment and thus appeared continuously on coins of his subsequent reign. The letters S C, abbreviating Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'), attest that the coin was minted in accordance with traditional senatorial authority governing base-metal coinage, preserving the constitutional balance of the principate.

Typology and Chronological Placement

RIC III Antoninus Pius 1035 is precisely dateable through its epigraphic content. In imperial Roman numismatics, the tribunician count provides the definitive chronological anchor. The twenty-third tribunician year of Antoninus Pius began on 10 December AD 159 and concluded on 9 December AD 160. This type was struck in parallel with corresponding issues across other metals and denominations. The same thematic reverse type was produced on sestertii (such as RIC III 1002) and copper asses (such as RIC III 1036), demonstrating an coordinated administrative campaign highlighting imperial piety and the succession during this monetary cycle. Within the cataloging system of Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham in Roman Imperial Coinage, type 1035 is classified strictly as a radiate dupondius. Typological variations within the type are limited to minor engraver distinctions, such as subtle differences in drapery arrangement on Pietas, the precise elevation of the children's hands, or slight adjustments in letter spacing, none of which constitute separate institutional catalog numbers under standard modern typology.

Circulation, Wear Patterns, and Archaeological Context

Base-metal dupondii struck during the Antonine period enjoyed extensive and prolonged circulation throughout the Roman Empire. Archaeological excavation data from military settlements along the Rhine and Danube frontiers, as well as civilian urban contexts in Italy, Gaul, and Roman Britain, show that Antonine bronze coins frequently circulated for decades. The robust orichalcum alloy resisted rapid corrosion, though specimens retrieved from soil deposits often display thick patina and significant surface wear. Because later reigns in the late second and early third centuries produced fewer base-metal denominations, coins of Antoninus Pius remained an active component of circulating cash pools well into the Severan era. Radiate dupondii such as RIC III Antoninus Pius 1035 can be found in small commercial hoards and casual site losses, where their heavy wear frequently attests to extensive handling across generations of consumers. Countermarks are relatively uncommon on Rome-mint bronzes of this late date compared to early first-century issues, indicating an empire-wide acceptance of the capital's standard aes coinage without local administrative re-validation.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. IV: Antoninus Pius to Severus Alexander. pp. 343-346
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Antoninus Pius 1035. ric.3.ant.1035
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 153, no. 1035
4. Die Münzprägung des Kaisers Antoninus Pius (MIR 18). MIR 18, nos. 1035-1036