Roman Antoninus or fake. Need assistance please

Namvet69

Bronze 31mm, 4.2mm thick, 25.6g. What's the obv Germanius reference? If real is the rev female Concordia? Thanks for your expertise. Peace Roy

lordmarcovan

The coin is a sestertius. The reverse could be Concordia- I don’t know. Looks real enough to me. Rough, but real.

Someone more experienced than I (like @Sapyx, for instance) will have better attribution info.

Based on the name, i was initially going to assume the emperor was Antoninus Pius (also a bearded chap), but now I think that portrait looks more like Marcus Aurelius (who also used the name “Antoninus” on his coins).

Sapyx

Despite the name reading "ANTONINVS", this is actually a brass sestertius of Marcus Aurelius.

Roman emperors liked to expand their already-grandiose titles by adding the names of territories they'd conquered, re-conquered, or otherwise humiliated. "Germanicus" was a title acquired by Marcus Aurelius in AD 175.

Here's the British Museum example of this coin. Visible on that coin and mostly on yours, is "TR P XXIX" - the 29th Year of Tribunician Power. This is in effect a date on this coin (something most Roman coins don't have) and likewise translates to AD 175.

On the reverse, we have Liberalitas, the personification of Generosity. The mirror-like thing she is holding is a hand-held abacus, with which she counts out the money she gives away, and a cornucopia representing abundance and plenty. Liberalitas types are often associated with the Congiarium, a public giving-away-money-for-free ceremony the emperors did to make themselves popular with the crowds. History records that Marcus Aurelius did indeed hold a congiarium in AD 175, when he returned to Rome from the German front and promoted Commodus to Caesar, so this coin was likely made specifically for giving away at that ceremony. The "LIBERALITAS AVG VI" legend readable on the reverse of the Museum coin, but sadly not on yours, confirms that this coin was made for the emperor's sixth congiarium.

I see no reason to doubt its authenticity.

lordmarcovan

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius

According to this list, Marcus Aurelius received the title “Germanicus” (meaning “victorious in Germania”) in 172 AD. It’s a victory title:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_imperial_victory_titles

And I don’t see Antoninus Pius on that list, so yep, it’s most likely Marcus Aurelius on that coin.

He was a philosopher and an author. His “Meditations” is still in print today.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditations

lordmarcovan

I have an Antoninus Pius sestertius in my collection, but no Marcus Aurelius.

Note the slightly different portrait, and no GERMANICVS title. Still a 31.7 mm bronze with a bearded fella with ANTONINVS in his name.

Similar, but not the same.

lordmarcovan

Ahh, see? I told you @sapyx would know. He crept in while I was looking up Wikipedia links.

Namvet69

Thanks for your cogent replies. I couldn't figure out what the gizmo was in her right hand. Have a good day