Antoninus Pius Bronze Sestertius, RIC III Antoninus Pius 855

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

During the mid-second century AD, the monetary system established under the Augustan reforms remained structurally stable, with the sestertius serving as the flagship base-metal denomination of the imperial state. Struck in orichalcum, a copper-zinc brass alloy valued more highly than pure copper, the sestertius represented four asses, two dupondii, or one-fourth of a silver denarius. Under Antoninus Pius, sestertii constituted the primary vehicle for large everyday retail transactions, tax obligations, and civil expenditures. Because of its broad flan, the sestertius also served as a prominent medium for imperial communication, circulating civic, moral, and administrative messages widely among the populace. RIC III Antoninus Pius 855 represents an integral component of this system, functioning both as a heavy, dependable coin in the market and as an expression of senatorial cooperation through the traditional mark of senatorial sanction.

Production Technology and Mint Organization

The entire emission of RIC III Antoninus Pius 855 was produced by the centralized imperial mint at Rome, which held an effective monopoly over western base-metal coinage throughout the Antonine period. Blanks were cast in open or two-part molds to achieve the substantial thickness required for the denomination, followed by hand striking between engraved iron or bronze dies. Physical specimens within this type adhere to the broad Antonine weight standard for the sestertius, typically clustering between 24 and 28 grams with diameters ranging between 31 and 34 millimeters, although individual weights vary due to Roman minting procedures prioritizing number of pieces per Roman pound rather than individual planchet precision. The metal used was orichalcum, although trace metallurgical analyses across contemporary issues demonstrate variable zinc content as recycled metal was increasingly folded into the melt.

Obverse Iconography and Epigraphy

The obverse of RIC III Antoninus Pius 855 presents the laureate head of Antoninus Pius facing right. The imperial portrait reflects the dignified, composed portraiture characteristic of his middle reign, depicting the emperor with a closely trimmed beard, thick curls bound by a laurel wreath tied at the occiput, and serene facial features. The legend, reading ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XII, encircles the portrait along the raised beaded border. The titles convey his imperial authority (Augustus), his celebrated virtue (Pius), his civic designation as father of his country (Pater Patriae), and his constitutional authority through his twelfth tribunician power.

Reverse Design and Allegorical Meaning

The reverse of this type displays Aequitas, the personification of equity, fair distribution, and honest dealing. She is depicted draped in a stola and mantle, standing facing left. In her extended right hand, she holds a pair of balance scales, a visual metaphor for fair measure and impartial assessment in monetary affairs and fiscal administration. In her left arm, she cradles an upright cornucopiae, symbolizing the material abundance and prosperity flowing from honest governance. Flanking her figure in the lower fields is the abbreviation S C, denoting Senatus Consulto, which reaffirms the formal decree of the Senate sanctioning base-metal coin production in Rome. Above and around the figure, the legend records the emperor's fourth consulship, COS IIII.

Epigraphic Analysis and Title Formulations

The legends of RIC III Antoninus Pius 855 provide precise imperial titulature and administrative dating. The obverse inscription, ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XII, presents an uninterrupted sequence of titles: Antoninus Augustus Pius, Pater Patriae, Tribunicia Potestate XII. The reverse legend, COS IIII, indicates his fourth tenure as consul, a magisterial office he entered on January 1, AD 145 and held as his final consulship. The presence of S C across the lower left and right fields of the reverse confirms the traditional division of authority wherein the Princeps directed mint policy while the Senate symbolically approved the striking of aes denominations. Inscriptions on this type follow standard Roman lapidary majuscule conventions, executed with clean letter forms and uniform spacing along the perimeter of the die.

Typology and Chronological Placement

The emission of RIC III Antoninus Pius 855 is securely dated to the imperial regnal calendar by the combination of TR P XII and COS IIII. Antoninus Pius renewed his tribunician power annually on December 10, placing his twelfth tribunician year from December 10, AD 148 through December 9, AD 149. Within the typological arrangements created by Paul Strack and subsequent editors of The Roman Imperial Coinage, this issue belongs to a substantive series struck in AD 148-149 celebrating administrative virtues, public abundance, and stability alongside parallel types depicting Annona, Felicitas, and Salus. It is distinct from neighboring sestertius types that pair Aequitas with different tribunician years or altered drapery styles, such as bust variations featuring drapery on the shoulder.

Circulation, Hoarding, and Archaeological Context

Sestertii of Antoninus Pius enjoyed extensive, prolonged circulation throughout the Roman Empire, moving rapidly from central Italian disbursement channels to garrison towns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers and commercial hubs across Gaul and Britain. Because base-metal coinage suffered lower rates of official melting and recoinage compared to silver and gold, issues of the mid-second century remained in circulation for decades, frequently appearing in third-century hoards worn nearly smooth from persistent commercial handling. Archaeological finds across western provincial contexts confirm that RIC III Antoninus Pius 855 circulated alongside both earlier Trajanic and Hadrianic bronzes and subsequent Antonine and Severan issues, fulfilling an essential day-to-day role in small-to-medium scale trade across imperial markets.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. pp. 278-279, no. 1823
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Antoninus Pius 855. ric.3.ant.855
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 134, no. 855
4. Untersuchungen zur romischen Reichspragung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil III: Die Reichspragung zur Zeit des Antoninus Pius. p. 118, no. 1022