Antoninus Pius, with Marcus Aurelius as Caesar, 138-161. Aureus (Gold, 18 mm, 7.25 g, 12 h), Rome, circa 140-144. ANTONINVS AVG PI-VS P P TR P COS III Laureate head of Antoninus Pius to left. Rev. AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS Bare-headed and draped bust of Marcus Aurelius to right. BMC -. Calicó 1735 (same dies as illustration). Cohen -. RIC 421c. Very rare. Removed from NGC encapsulation, graded Ch XF 5/5, 4/5, fine style, light marks. A beautiful example of this important dynastic issue with two delightful portraits and a very old pedigree. Minor marks, otherwise, about extremely fine.



This beautiful dynastic aureus, struck in the early years of Antoninus Pius, carries on its reverse the portrait of the young Marcus Aurelius - a striking declaration of the intended succession. In 136 Hadrian adopted Lucius Aelius as heir; when Aelius died on 1 January 138, Hadrian adopted Antoninus Pius on the condition that Pius in turn adopt both Aelius’s son Lucius Ceionius Commodus (the future Lucius Verus) and Marcus Annius Verus (the future Marcus Aurelius). Under Pius, Marcus was steadily advanced and given precedence, so his prominence on early coinage publicly signalled the ordered plan of succession.

Antoninus’ conscious decision to bring Marcus Aurelius to the fore and to make his precedence visible broke with Hadrian’s original emphasis on Aelius’s line but affirmed his own vision of dynastic stability and an orderly transfer of power. The prominent place given to Marcus on Pius’ coinage thus became a medium that presented the designated heir unmistakably to the people and the army, guaranteeing continuity of rule.

Equally important was the exceptionally close bond that grew between Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. Ancient sources even claim that for nearly twenty-three years Marcus scarcely left his adoptive father’s side - a testament to their daily collaboration and to Marcus’ formation as heir. This intimacy shaped him profoundly and helps explain why he later assumed the cognomen Pius himself, in gratitude and loyalty.

The decision to favor Marcus Aurelius over Lucius Verus proved momentous for Roman history. Under Antoninus Pius the empire enjoyed a long period of peace, remembered as the model of a fortunate reign; Marcus Aurelius, in turn, stepped into this carefully prepared succession as the 'philosopher emperor', uniting imperial responsibility with intellectual depth. To later generations, the sequence of Pius and Marcus Aurelius appeared ideal: first the stability and calm of the principate, then the reflective wisdom of its most philosophical ruler.