NEWP Antoninus Pius Denarius - A decent Roman Emperor

WillieBoyd2

Antoninus Pius was the Emperor of Rome from 138 to 161 AD.
He was a decent man.

He didn't fool around with little boys.
He didn't dress up as a girl.
He didn't murder members of his family.
He didn't engage in gladitorial contests.

Without the notoriety, his coins are usually cheaper than those of the "bad boys".
Also, they tend to have less "warlike" themes.

Bailathacl

I don't have it with me, but I think Antonius Pius got a numismatic "shout out" in the current Coin World -- focus on the issues with the portrait of his beloved deceased wife....

Preussen

Very nice - Preussen

lordmarcovan

One of the few Roman emperors to actually die a peaceful death, of old age, if I remember correctly? Pax Romana, and all that stuff?

I had a really sharp denarius with his portrait a while back. Easy EF+, probably AU by American standards.

Bought a couple of Faustina denarii at the same time, which were just as sharp, if not sharper. (Can't remember which Faustina- maybe both.)

Edit to add: and I couldn't believe how relatively cheap such lovely pieces of ancient silver were. Crisp strikes with high reliefs, gorgeous little historical gems, and I paid something in the high $20s or low $30s apiece for them! You can bet I will look around at my next show for more. Though I am somewhat novice with ancient coins, stuff like this is a no-brainer...

CIVITAS

Nice coin. For all the reasons you describe, as a businessman, I avoid Antoninus Pius like the plague because he doesn't sell. If I were a collector, I think they're great for variety and budget. Hundreds of types and full VFs can often be had under $50.00.