The Philosopher Emperor in his youth - Marcus Aurelius as Caesar

[ambr0zie]

One of the coins I acquired in my last auction - the penultimate 2022 coin - is something I was after for some time.
I had the chance to acquire 2 Marcus Aurelius denarii in my first purchase of ancient coins.

 

... but what I wanted was a coin from his Caesar period as I think they are important for his coinage and of course for the coinage of Pius.
The type I had in mind, obviously, is the one showing Pius on the obverse and Marcus on the reverse but these are overly popular in my opinion and the prices tend to go way too high. In the auctions I participated in (and not premium auctions or premium coins) that type goes for 100 euros for a so-so condition, which is not something I want to pay for this type. Not for now.

In the last auction I participated in, I "gambled a little". A certain type of Marcus Aurelius as Caesar was present, but twice. First example - what I consider a very decent coin. Second - same type, but in a superior condition (I usually do not attempt to grade ancient coins, but I would say that one was an AU).
So my gamble was - who wants this type will ignore coin 1 (the worse example) and wait for coin 2, that was 3 lots after. Coin 1 will be cheaper than in normal circumstances, coin 2 more expensive.
I think I was right because I was able to get the coin I wanted at a normal price.

Marcus Aurelius, as Caesar AD 139-161. Rome. Denarius AR. 18 mm, 2,63 g
148-149 AD. AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F, head of Marcus Aurelius, bare, right / TR POT III COS II, Minerva, helmeted, draped, standing right, holding vertical spear in right hand and resting left hand on round shield set on ground.
RIC III Antoninus Pius 444; BMC 683; RSC 618

This was a contender for my Imperial top 10 but it failed because the reverse is a little on the boring side. Tried cleaning it as it seemed horn silver, but the black shades did not disappear at all using thiosulphate - well, I will leave it as it is, as I don't think it is an ugly coin.

Marcus Aurelius was born on the 26th of April 121 during the reign of Hadrian to the emperor's nephew, the praetor Marcus Annius Verus, and the heiress Domitia Calvilla. His father died when he was three, and his mother and grandfather raised him. After Hadrian's adoptive son, Aelius Caesar, died in 138, the emperor adopted Marcus's uncle Antoninus Pius as his new heir. In turn, Antoninus adopted Marcus and Lucius, the son of Aelius. Hadrian died that year, and Antoninus became emperor. Now heir to the throne, Marcus studied Greek and Latin under tutors such as Herodes Atticus and Marcus Cornelius Fronto. He married Antoninus' daughter Faustina in 145.

The last "Good Emperor" was a philosopher and his works survived until present day. I intend to start reading the Meditations copy I have, after I finish the books I am reading now.

What I found interesting about Marcus was that he was not very happy about getting the title of Emperor. Actually, he opposed the idea because it was contradicting with the philosophic life he wanted and loved. He accepted the title only if Lucius Verus was also named co-emperor - first time in history when the Empire had 2 emperors with apparently equal powers, but Marcus had greater authority.

 

Please post Marcus Aurelius as Caesar coins.

[Roman Collector]

 

This is my most recently acquired Marcus as Caesar coin. It was issued for the occasion of his wedding to Faustina the Younger.

Marcus Aurelius, Caesar AD 139-161.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 8.74 g, 25.0 mm, 11 h.
Rome, AD 145.
Obv: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head, right.
Rev: VOTA PVBLICA S C, Faustina Junior, on left, and Marcus Aurelius, on right, standing facing each other, clasping right hands; Concordia standing facing between them, her head turned to left.
Refs: RIC 1269; BMCRE 1801-02; Cohen 1023; Strack 957; RCV 4851.

Mine's not exactly FDC, but it's historically interesting.

[Prieure de Sion]

44 minutes ago, ambr0zie said:

Please post Marcus Aurelius as Caesar coins.

 

Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius with Marcus Aurelius Caesar
Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 140 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 18mm; Weight: 3.15g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC III Antoninus Pius 415c; Provenance: Ex Roma Numismatic London, Auction 76, 5 November 2020, Lot 1009; Obverse: Head of Antoninus Pius, bare, right. The Inscription reads: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III for Antoninus Augustus Pius, Pater Patriae, Tribunicia Potestate, Consul Tertium (Antoninus Pius, Augustus father of the nation, holder of tribunician power, consul for the third time); Reverse: Bust of Marcus Aurelius, bare-headed, draped, right. The Inscription reads: AVRELIVS CAES AVG P II F COS for Aurelius Caesar, Augusti Pii Filius, Consul ([Marcus] Aurelius, Caesar, son of Augustus [Antoninus] Pius, consul).

 

[Kali]

Marcus Aurelius, as Caesar (139-161 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head right.
R: PIETAS AVG, sacrificial implements: knife, sprinkler, ewer, lituus and simpulum.
Rome Mint 140-144 A.D.
3.3g
20mm
RIC 424a[pius], RSC 451, BMCRE IV (A. Pius) 277, SRCV II 4786

[shanxi]

Marcus Aurelius
AR Denar, Rome
Obv.: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F, bare head right
Rev.: TR POT XV COS III, Pietas standing left, holding child in either arm, with two more children standing at her side.
Ag, 3.42g, 17.1mm
Ref.: RIC III (A.P.) 490

[ewomack]

Marcus Aurelius. AR Denarius. Struck 161/2 AD. M ANTONINVS AVG, bare head right / CONCORD AVG TR P XVII, COS III in exergue, Concordia seated left, holding patera, resting left elbow on statuette of Spes set on base. 18mm 3.4gm

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Marcus as Caesar.

Egypt, Alexandria

AE Drachm

Beardless Bust of Marcus right, Elpis Hitching skirt and holding flower on reverse

32 mm, 24.1 grams

Listed as "rare" type by R.A. Numismatics

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[happy_collector]

Nice pickups, @ambr0zie. I like young portraits of Marcus Aurelius. Here is one I picked up early this year. 🙂

 

[happy_collector]

3 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

 

This is my most recently acquired Marcus as Caesar coin. It was issued for the occasion of his wedding to Faustina the Younger.

Marcus Aurelius, Caesar AD 139-161.
Roman Æ as or dupondius, 8.74 g, 25.0 mm, 11 h.
Rome, AD 145.
Obv: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head, right.
Rev: VOTA PVBLICA S C, Faustina Junior, on left, and Marcus Aurelius, on right, standing facing each other, clasping right hands; Concordia standing facing between them, her head turned to left.
Refs: RIC 1269; BMCRE 1801-02; Cohen 1023; Strack 957; RCV 4851.

Mine's not exactly FDC, but it's historically interesting.

As a Faustina Junior fan, I agree that the marriage event is very historically interesting, RC. I picked up an aureus version of the coin type early this year. It stays at the number 1 spot of my 2022 Top 10 coin list. 🙂 😊 🙂

Marcus Aurelius, as Caesar. 145-146 AD. AV aureus. Rome.  
Obv: AVRELIVSCAES-AR AVG PII F COS II, bare head of Marcus Aurelius right;
Rev: VOTA-PV-BLICA, Faustina Junior (right), clasping hands with Marcus Aurelius (left); Concordia between and behind.
RIC III (Antoninus Pius) 434. Calicó2035. 
19mm, 7.09 gm, 6h.
Heritage NYINC World Coins Signature Auction. January 2022.

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by happy_collector

[DonnaML]

Great coins, everyone! I have two Marcus Aurelius Caesars myself:

Antoninus Pius with Marcus Aurelius as Caesar, AR Denarius 140-144 AD Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head of Antoninus Pius right, ANTONINVS AVG PIVS - P P TR P COS III / Rev. Bare head of young Marcus Aurelius right, beardless, AVRELIVS CAESAR - AVG PII F COS. RIC III Antoninus Pius 417a (p. 78) (1930 ed.); RSC II Antoninus Pius & Marcus Aurelius 15 (p. 190); Sear RCV II 4524 (ill. p. 261) [dated to 141 AD]; BMCRE IV Antoninus Pius 155 (p. 26; ill. Pl 4 No. 11); A. Pangerl, "Vier Jahrzente Portraits des Marcus Aurelius auf römischen Reichsmünzen," 500 Years of Roman Coin Portraits (2d ed. 2017), pp. 318-333 at p. 324 Tabelle 1 (No. 3.04) & p. 326 (No. 4) [dated to 140 AD and classified at p. 439 as “Type 1: round head of a child, no beard, curly hair”]. 19mm, 3.43 gm, 12h. Purchased from Akropolis Ancient Coins, 17 October 2021.

Marcus Aurelius Caesar (under Antoninus Pius) AR Denarius, 145-146 AD, Rome Mint. Obv: Bare head right, clean-shaven, AVRELIVS CAE-SVG PII F / Rev: Honos standing left, holding branch and cornucopiae, COS II. RIC III Antoninus Pius 429a, RSC II Marcus Aurelius 110 (p. 202), BMCRE IV Antoninus Pius 594 (p. 85), ERIC II 301, Sear RCV (1981 ed.) 1279; A. Pangerl, "Vier Jahrzente Portraits des Marcus Aurelius auf römischen Reichsmünzen," 500 Years of Roman Coin Portraits (2d ed. 2017), pp. 318-333 at p. 324 Tabelle 1 (No. 3.10) & p. 326 (No. 10) [dated to 145-146 AD and classified at p. 439 as “Type 3: long head shape of adolescent boy; beginning moustache, increasing but discrete side burns”] (noting at p. 324 that "RIC gibt keinen Barttyp an"). 18.2 mm, 3.3 g.

The coin portraits of the young and middle-aged Marcus Aurelius show his age progression more minutely than those of any other emperor I can think of, right down to the gradual growth of his sideburns and beard. For anyone who can get hold of it, I highly recommend the Pangerl article on 40 years of Marcus Aurelius portraits, in his "500 Years of Roman Coin Portraits" book. Even for those of us who don't read German, there's an English-language summary, and the many photos are self-explanatory.

Edited December 17, 2022 by DonnaML

[Marsyas Mike]

Very nice coins in this thread.  Here are two of my Caesar issues for Marcus Aurelius - I like his younger portraits showing him youthful and full of hope, before growing haggard from too many border wars and too much philosophy:

Spes (denarius, with hope):

Honos (sestertius): 

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

The philosophy got to him eventually. 

"When death smiles upon us all a man can do is smile back."

[kapphnwn]

Marcus Aurelius as Caesar Ae Sestertius 140-144 AD Obv Head left bare. Rv Priestly implements RIC 1234c 22.67 grms 31 mm Photo by W. Hansen 

I saw this coin while on my trip to the UK back in September 2018. I was impressed with the skill of the die engraver. Despite showing Marcus as a youth he does give his subject a dignity and a presence which is outstanding

Edited December 18, 2022 by kapphnwn