Marcus Aurelius Bronze Dupondius, RIC III Marcus Aurelius 798

Monetary Context and Denominational Function

In the monetary system of the high Roman Empire, base-metal coinage served as the essential medium for retail trade, everyday market commerce, and state disbursements within Italy and the western provinces. The dupondius occupied a standard value of two asses or half an imperial sestertius, with four dupondii equivalent to one silver denarius. Since the monetary reforms of Augustus in the late first century BC, the imperial administration had visually and metallurgically distinguished the dupondius from the equal-sized as by producing the former in golden-toned brass (orichalcum, a copper-zinc alloy) and placing a radiate crown on the emperor's head, in contrast to the laurel wreath or bare head seen on the pure copper as. When Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus succeeded Antoninus Pius in March AD 161, they immediately utilized this visual grammar across all denominations. The dupondius RIC III Marcus Aurelius 798 played a vital role in carrying the public announcement of the imperial accession into daily hands. While gold aurei and silver denarii communicated ideological messaging to soldiers, senators, and elite provincial administrators, bronze and brass denominations reached town vendors, merchants, and ordinary urban citizens. By declaring the shared authority and mutual loyalty of the joint emperors on base-metal currency, the state sought to foster confidence in dynastic continuity and political stability across all socioeconomic strata.

Production Standards and Mint Organization

The entire regular production of base-metal coinage for the central imperial administration under early Marcus Aurelius was concentrated at the single imperial mint located in Rome. The physical manufacture of dupondii followed rigorous metallurgical and metrological standards established during the Antonine period. Blanks were cast in individual moulds or cut from cast strips of orichalcum, an alloy consisting predominantly of copper with an intentional zinc addition typically ranging between 10 and 20 percent. Over repeated recasting and metallic circulation cycles, zinc contents frequently drifted downward in the Antonine period, though official workshop batches maintained the distinctive bright, brassy hue intended to distinguish the denomination from red copper asses. The median weight standard for Antonine dupondii clustered between 11.5 and 13.5 grams, with typical planchet diameters varying between 24 and 27 millimeters. Die engraving and striking took place in organized officinae (workshops) operating under imperial oversight. Striking was performed by hand with heavy hammers, where the bottom (obverse) die rested securely in an anvil while the upper (reverse) die was positioned manually over the heated or cold flan. This manual method produced characteristic small variations in die axis, though a predominant vertical alignment (12 or 6 o'clock) was standard practice at the Rome mint.

Obverse Design and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC III Marcus Aurelius 798 displays a detailed portrait of Marcus Aurelius facing right, wearing a prominent radiate crown. This radiate crown, composed of sharp solar spikes projecting outward from the imperial brow, had served as the definitive numismatic attribute of the dupondius since the Julio-Claudian era, visually signaling the two-as denomination even if surface patination obscured the golden color of the brass flan. The portrait style reflects the mature artistic conventions of the Antonine court at the moment of accession. Marcus Aurelius is shown with his characteristic thick, curly hair, deeply rendered beard, and calm, philosophical gaze. The treatment of the beard and curls showcases the hallmark Antonine use of drilling and fine chisel engraving to achieve depth and plastic volume. In this accession issue, the dies capture a man in his fortieth year assuming the full responsibilities of the supreme office, balancing regal dignity with the ascetic gravitas of his Stoic philosophical training.

Reverse Iconography: Concordia Augustorum

The reverse design presents one of the most celebrated ideological statements of the Antonine dynasty: Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus standing face to face, clasping their right hands in the sacred gesture of dextrarum iunctio. Both emperors are depicted togate, emphasizing their civil status as primary magistrates and protectors of Roman law rather than triumphal military autocrats. Marcus Aurelius, positioned on the left, holds a rolled volume or scroll (volumen) in his left hand, symbolizing his constitutional duty, legislative stewardship, and philosophical learning. Lucius Verus stands opposite on the right, returning the grasp with solemn parity. In the lower field flanking the standing rulers, the letters S and C appear prominently to denote Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'), marking the traditional constitutional sanction for base-metal emissions struck in Rome. The composition conveys absolute political harmony and unshakeable collegiate partnership. Never before had the Roman Empire been governed concurrently by two legitimate Augusti of equal constitutional standing. The clasping of right hands transformed a traditional matrimonial and civic symbol of mutual fidelity and trust into an explicit pledge that the shared imperial power would remain unified, peaceable, and undivided.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The inscriptions appearing on RIC III Marcus Aurelius 798 provide exact dating criteria and an authoritative statement of imperial ideology. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG P M, an abbreviation for Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, Pontifex Maximus. This formal titling confirms Marcus Aurelius's adoption of the Antonine name upon his succession to Antoninus Pius, together with his assumption of the supreme civic title Imperator Caesar, the venerable epithet Augustus, and the chief religious office of the Roman state, Pontifex Maximus. Notably, while Marcus and Lucius shared equal imperial rank, only Marcus assumed the religious title of Pontifex Maximus in AD 161, reflecting his seniority and preeminent position within the college. The reverse inscription reads CONCORD AVGVSTOR TR P XV COS III, complemented by S C in the field. The phrase CONCORD AVGVSTOR abbreviates Concordia Augustorum, proclaiming the harmonious unity of the co-emperors. The accompanying civic titles precisely fix the striking period: TR P XV indicates the emperor's fifteenth renewal of the tribunician power, which commenced under Antoninus Pius in December AD 160 and extended through December AD 161. COS III notes his third consulship, which he entered on January 1, AD 161, with Lucius Verus as his consular colleague. Together, these epigraphic elements establish that the coin was struck during the accession year AD 161.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology of the Antonine coinage established in Roman Imperial Coinage and refined by Wolfgang Szaivert in Moneta Imperii Romani (MIR 18), RIC III Marcus Aurelius 798 is categorized under the initial accession issues of AD 161. The Concordia Augustorum motif was struck concurrently across multiple metals and denominations, creating a comprehensive ideological program. In bronze and brass, parallel emissions were produced for the large sestertius (such as RIC III 795 and 796) and the copper as (such as RIC III 799 and 800), alongside identical designs struck in the name and portraiture of Lucius Verus (for example, RIC III Lucius Verus 1282 to 1285). Within the dupondius sequence, RIC 798 is characterized strictly by the radiate portrait of Marcus Aurelius facing right, paired with the full accession legend retaining P M and TR P XV. It should not be conflated with subsequent Concordia types struck in late AD 161 and AD 162 that carry TR P XVI, nor with issues commemorating Lucius Verus's departure for the Parthian campaigns. Die studies confirm that the mint mobilized numerous die pairs for this initial accession emission, ensuring wide dispersal across regional military and civilian circulation networks.

Circulation, Hoards, and Archaeological Context

Once released from the Rome mint, dupondii of RIC III 798 entered an extensive and highly integrated monetary economy. Because base-metal coins were less prone to systemic hoarding than gold aurei or silver denarii, their discovery in archaeological contexts predominantly occurs as site finds, lost pocket change in urban settlements, military camp deposits, and roadside tabernae across Roman Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Dupondii circulated actively in Italy, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, Britain, and the Danube provinces, frequently remaining in physical exchange for decades. Due to the high intrinsic durability of brass, specimens of this type routinely experienced considerable surface wear, circulating well into the reigns of Commodus, Septimius Severus, and the Severan dynasty before being removed by demonetization, remelting, or catastrophic loss. When found in mixed base-metal hoards, such as riverine offerings or late second-century domestic savings deposits, RIC 798 illustrates the enduring presence of early Antonine bronze currency long after the death of both co-rulers.

References

1. I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali: Marcus Aurelius. Vol. III-1
2. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 278, no. 798
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Marcus Aurelius 798. RIC III Marcus Aurelius 798
4. Die Münzprägung der Kaiser Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus und Commodus (MIR 18). MIR 18, 161 issue