Antoninus Pius Sestertius, RIC III Antoninus Pius 629

Monetary and Political Context

Under Antoninus Pius (reigned AD 138-161), the Roman monetary system enjoyed remarkable stability, anchored by the denarius, aureus, and large base-metal denominations like the sestertius, dupondius, and as. The sestertius was the primary vehicle for high-relief ideological messaging due to its broad flan of orichalcum (brass). Unlike his predecessor Hadrian, who spent significant portions of his reign touring the provinces, Antoninus Pius remained almost continuously in Rome and central Italy. His administrative stability was mirrored in coin iconography that turned inward, highlighting the deep religious and mythical foundations of Rome and the surrounding Latian countryside. Struck under the authority of the Senate as marked by the traditional S C formula, RIC III Antoninus Pius 629 appeared during a period when the imperial mint actively celebrated foundational legends, culminating in the approaches to Rome's nine-hundredth anniversary in AD 147-148.

Production Standards and Minting

The entire production of regular bronze sestertii under Antoninus Pius was concentrated at the central imperial mint in Rome. Struck in orichalcum, a golden-toned copper-zinc alloy reserved for sestertii and dupondii, these issues maintained the established Flavian and Antonine weight standards. A typical sestertius of this period had an average weight range between 24.0 and 28.5 grams, with flan diameters commonly measuring between 31 and 34 millimeters, although individual planchets varied according to the al marco striking techniques of ancient mint workers. Engravers at the Rome mint executed these dies with exceptional care, rendering the anatomical contours of the sow, the leafy canopy of the holm-oak (ilex), and the tiny individual piglets with notable realism and spatial depth.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Image

The obverse of RIC III Antoninus Pius 629 features a right-facing, laureate head of Antoninus Pius. By the early 140s AD, portraiture of the emperor had settled into a dignified, idealized maturity: a trimmed beard in the Hadrianic fashion, calm facial features, and a carefully bound laurel wreath signifying imperial authority and piety. The portrait conveys the core imperial virtues of gravitas and clementia that defined public perceptions of his regime. Engraving styles within this issue demonstrate subtle variations in the treatment of the hair locks and the ribbon ties at the back of the neck, reflecting the distinct hands of multiple master celators working across concurrent officinae at the capital.

Reverse Iconography: The Mythological Sow

The reverse iconography of RIC 629 illustrates the famous prodigy of the white sow prophesied to Aeneas by the god Tiberinus and the seer Helenus in Books III and VIII of the Aeneid. According to the foundational myth, finding a great sow resting beneath an oak suckling her young signified the end of the Trojan wanderings and indicated the chosen site for Lavinium, or alternately Alba Longa. The die depicts the great sow standing right beneath the spreading branches of a holm-oak. Beneath her belly, seven piglets suckle while an eighth piglet stands upright before her snout. In Latin epic and historical tradition, the sow produced thirty piglets symbolizing the thirty Latin cities or thirty years until the founding of Alba Longa, but ancient die-cutters condensed the litter to a visually readable grouping of eight. The monumental formula S C is disposed in the field, affirming senatorial decree.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The obverse legend reads ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III. This comprehensive imperial titular formula translates as 'Antoninus Augustus Pius, Father of his Country, Holder of Tribunician Power, Consul for the third time.' The title Pius was awarded immediately upon accession in AD 138, while Pater Patriae (P P) was formally accepted by late 139. The reverse lacks an elaborate descriptive text, bearing solely the formulaic S C across the lower fields or in exergue, signifying 'Senatus Consulto' ('By decree of the Senate'). This minimal reverse legend purposefully leaves the visual field open, maximizing the artistic impact of the landscape and the narrative tableau.

Typology and Chronological Placement

The chronological envelope of RIC III Antoninus Pius 629 is determined by the consular iteration COS III, which Antoninus Pius assumed on January 1, AD 140, holding it until his entry into his fourth consulship on January 1, AD 145. Consequently, the type can be securely dated between AD 140 and 144. It is part of a deliberate program of mythological issues struck in bronze medallions and regular aes denominations during these years, which also included representations of Aeneas carrying Anchises, Mars visiting Rhea Silvia, and Romulus and Remus suckled by the she-wolf. RIC 629 is catalogued alongside smaller denominations and medallion variants bearing identical or related compositions, standing as an integral component of the third-consulship bronze production.

Circulation Patterns and Monetary Life

Sestertii of Antoninus Pius circulated extensively throughout Italy and the western provinces of the Roman Empire, including Gaul, Hispania, and Britain. Because bronze currency possessed an intrinsic value below its legal tender tariff, sestertii remained in active circulation for decades, frequently passing hand to hand until the end of the Severan dynasty or the mid-third-century crises. Archaeological hoard records and stray finds show that coins of the mythological cycle experienced long circulation lives alongside standard personification types. While many surviving specimens exhibit moderate to heavy wear consistent with decades of commercial exchange, the distinctive outline of the sow under the tree often remained recognizable to users long after finer details were abraded.

References

1. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Antoninus Pius 629. Type RIC III Antoninus Pius 629
2. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. pp. 111-112, no. 629
3. Untersuchungen zur romischen Reichspragung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil III: Die Reichspragung zur Zeit des Antoninus Pius. pp. 88-92
4. Roman Medallions (Numismatic Studies No. 5). pp. 136-140