Antoninus Pius Bronze Sestertius, RIC III Antoninus Pius 1063

Monetary Context and Denominational Function

During the middle of the second century AD, the monetary system established under Augustus remained fundamentally stable, functioning as a trimetallic currency structure anchored by the gold aureus, silver denarius, and brass or copper-alloy base metals. Within this hierarchy, the sestertius represented the largest regular denomination in daily domestic commerce. Valued at one-fourth of a silver denarius or four copper asses, the sestertius was cast and struck in orichalcum, a golden-toned copper-zinc brass alloy that distinguished it from the pure copper used for smaller middle bronzes such as the as and semis. Because of its generous module and physical heft, the sestertius operated simultaneously as an instrument for substantial market payments and as the most prominent public canvas for state messaging. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1063 belongs to the programmatic celebration of imperial longevity and religious obligation. Rather than commemorating foreign military conquest, the coin focuses upon the enduring harmony between the Princeps and the traditional Roman pantheon, reassuring the public and the financial community of the regime's lasting stability.

Mint Location, Alloy, and Technical Production

The entire regular bronze output for the central imperial administration under Antoninus Pius was centered at the mint of Rome. In contrast to provincial civic coinages produced throughout the eastern provinces, imperial sestertii like RIC III Antoninus Pius 1063 were struck from centrally organized workshops, commonly referred to as officinae. Metallurgical analyses of mid-second-century orichalcum show a gradual decline in zinc content relative to Augustan and Julio-Claudian issues, often reflecting the remelting of existing stock; nevertheless, sestertii of this era maintained a distinct bright brass tone when fresh. Flans were cast in open or two-part molds before being brought to temperature and struck between hand-cut steel or hardened bronze dies. Typical sestertius weights during this phase of the reign fluctuated between twenty-four and twenty-eight grams, with diameters usually spanning thirty-one to thirty-three millimeters. Alignment of the dies in the Rome workshop was conventionally fixed at six o'clock or twelve o'clock, reflecting careful manual striking standards under close administrative oversight.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC III Antoninus Pius 1063 features the mature head of Antoninus Pius facing right, bound with a laurel wreath tied at the nape of the neck with two falling ribbons. The portraiture belongs to the emperor's final recognized iconographical phase, characterized by dignified aging, an organized full beard, and calm, idealized classical facial features. Antoninus Pius avoided ostentatious militaristic dress on this issue, presenting an unadorned, bare-necked portrait that emphasized his role as a civil magistrate and father of the state. The engraving demonstrates high sculptural relief characteristic of mid-second-century Roman die cutters, conveying gravitas without severe stylization. The circular legend frames the portrait tightly from the lower left to the lower right, with the wreath tips protruding slightly toward the perimeter.

Reverse Iconography and Votive Typology

The reverse iconography depicts Antoninus Pius in the performance of a public sacrifice, emphasizing his position as supreme priest of the Roman state religion. The emperor stands turned toward the left, garbed in a traditional senatorial toga with his head veiled in observance of Roman sacrificial ritual, known as capite velato. In his extended right hand, he holds a shallow offering dish, or patera, poised directly over an altar tripod set before him. His left arm rests straight at his side alongside the heavy drapery of his toga. The tripod altar itself represents ritual piety, commonly shown with light flames or incense rising from its brazier. Flanking the lower central field to the left and right of the standing figure are the large capital letters S and C, denoting Senatus Consulto, the traditional formal affirmation of senatorial approval for base-metal coinage. The scene lacks ancillary attendants, focusing entirely on the singular imperial act of consecration.

Epigraphy and Legend Readings

The epigraphic composition of RIC III Antoninus Pius 1063 is succinct and highly structured. The obverse reads ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P, expanding to Antoninus Augustus Pius, Pater Patriae. Notably absent from this late formula are references to his consular tenure or tribunician year, a deliberate simplification adopted on many Rome mint obverse dies from AD 152 onwards. The reverse carries the commemorative inscription VOTA SVSCEP DECENN III, accompanied in the field by S C. The votive legend expands to Vota Suscepta Decennalia III, which translates as 'vows undertaken for the third decade of rule.' The phrasing carefully distinguishes itself from vows already redeemed (vota soluta), proclaiming the ongoing contractual relationship between the emperor and the gods on behalf of the Roman commonwealth. Letterforms are executed in classical imperial serifed capitals, clearly spaced to encircle the designs neatly within the outer beaded borders.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the standard classification developed by Harold Mattingly and Edward Sydenham in The Roman Imperial Coinage, volume III, this issue is registered as type 1063. The votive cycle of Antoninus Pius provides reliable chronological coordinates for its placement. Having acceded to the imperial title in July AD 138, Antoninus celebrated his decennalia in AD 148 and his vicennalia, completing twenty full years, in AD 158. The inauguration of the third decennium prompted the taking of fresh ten-year vows (vota suscepta decennalia III). Consequently, while the obverse formula lacks a specific tribunician count, numismatic scholarship places the production of RIC 1063 firmly between AD 158 and 159, during the twenty-first or twenty-second tribunician power of the emperor. Paul Strack corroborates this sequencing in his corpus of second-century imperial coinage, linking the reverse die series to related denarii and middle bronzes bearing equivalent votive texts issued in the penultimate phase of the reign.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Context

Sestertii of Antoninus Pius saw exceptionally wide and prolonged circulation across the length and breadth of the Roman Empire. Archaeological findspots from the Rhine and Danube frontiers to Roman Britain and North Africa frequently yield substantial deposits of Antonine bronze coinage. Due to their high initial zinc content, these orichalcum flans were robust, resisting rapid wear better than pure copper asses, although circulation wear over decades eventually removed much of the surface detail. Hoard evidence demonstrates that second-century sestertii remained active in commercial circulation well into the third century, often persisting until the currency reforms and hyperinflationary conditions of the late AD 250s and 260s drove heavy bronze denominations out of daily transactions. Specimens of RIC 1063 typically appear in worn grades in commercial hoards, reflecting prolonged tenure in exchange networks after their initial disbursement via military wages, building expenditures, or urban distributions in Rome.

References

1. The Coinage of Antoninus Pius. pp. 405-418
2. Coinage in the Roman World. pp. 86-111
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 156, no. 1063
4. RIC III Antoninus Pius 1063. ric.3.ant.1063
5. Untersuchungen zur römischen Reichsprägung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil III: Die Reichsprägung zur Zeit des Antoninus Pius. no. 1142