From the Gemini IV Auction, Closed January 8, 2008.



                  Lot # 425 - Auction is closed.Estimate: US$7500 / Price 
                  Realized: US$5000 
                  Antoninus Pius. Gold aureus 



             



            Antoninus Pius. (138-161 AD). Gold aureus (7.23 gm). Rome, 140 AD. 
            ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P, bust bare-headed, draped, cuirassed right, 
            seen from behind / TR POT in exergue, COS III above, Antoninus Pius 
            and Marcus Aurelius Caesar as joint consuls of 140, seated left on 
            curule chairs on platform, each extending right hand, attended by 
            two lictors standing on ground to left and right respectively of the 
            platform, each holding wand and fasces. Strack 68 (Paris, Rome). 
            Cohen 913 (Paris, 150 Fr.). BMCRE p. 37 (citing Cohen). Calico 1652 
            (citing Cohen, no illustration). RIC 92 (R2, citing Cohen). 
            Extremely rare. Apparently only the third recorded specimen of this 
            aureus, after those in Paris and Rome reported by Strack; absent 
            from Berk photofile and CoinArchives. This issue, to the best of our 
            knowledge, has never appeared in public auction. Very fine. 

            This interesting type commemorating the joint consulship of 
            Antoninus and Marcus in 140 also appears on scarce sestertii of 
            Antoninus, there without the titles of office on the reverse, RIC 
            628, BMC pl. 30.6. Similar types commemorated the proclamation of 
            Titus and Domitian as joint Caesars under Vespasian, BMCRE, pl. 
            31.9; the joint consulship of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus in 
            161, BMCRE, pl. 54. 8 and pl. 75.6; the joint consulship of 
            Septimius Severus and Caracalla in 202, with legend AVGVSTI COS, 
            BMCRE, pl. 48.9; the joint consulship of Caracalla and Geta in 205, 
            with legend IMP ET CAESAR AVG FILI COS, BMCRE, pl. 34.1; and the 
            joint consulship of the same two princes in 208, BMCRE, p. 271. Our 
            aureus commemorating the consulship of Antoninus Pius and Marcus 
            Caesar in 140 was struck from the same obverse die as another aureus 
            commemorating the same consulship, with type Antoninus and his two 
            adoptive sons Marcus Caesar and Lucius Verus in consular quadriga 
            left, BMC 239, pl. 6.9. 




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  ... Lot 425 sold for high bid of $5000 [ $5750, or approx 3967.5 EUR, 2932.5 GBP including the 15% buyers fee.] 

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 and Harlan J Berk (www.harlanjberk.com)