GOLD ROMAN OR GREEK COIN | Antoninus Pius aureus

Roman gold coins the same size as a denarius were called an "aureus".

Aurei with this design were struck in the name of emperor Antoninus Pius after he had died in 161 AD and been officially deified by the Senate. "DIVVS ANTONINVS" translates to "the divine Antoninus".

On the reverse is not the Colosseum, but a structure usually defined as a "funeral pyre". We don't really know for sure what it is; it might even be a depiction of the mausoleum of Hadrian (since drastically remodelled into the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome), the building in which Antoninus' remains were interred.

Unfortunately, 6.1 grams is a little too light for a genuine aureus; at the time of Antoninus Pius and his successor Marcus Aurelius (under whom this coin was struck) an aureus was supposed to weigh about 7.2 grams. It's also too heavy to be a denarius that's been gold-plated. On that basis I would be suspicious of this coin's authenticity. On the plus side, it isn't listed on the FORVM fake database; there are some examples of the same type, such as this one, though they are noticeably different in layout and style.

Maybe your coin has simply been clipped; this example on acsearch certainly has plenty of room for clipping around the edge. You can also see from that page what a genuine coin similar to yours (though in better condition) sold for in 2008.

thank you! I just have a few more questions. Is it common to find clipped coins, like were they clipped in ancient times, or recently? Also, I know it is probably against forum rules, but I was wondering how greatly would this affect the value and what would be the value?

Hello Imjustakid. Asking for a value is not against the rules, and if you would think it is, why would you post it without reading the rules first?

Having said that, I did remove the link in your last post since it is against forum rules for new members to post links without staff approval.

Oh, and I forgot my manners. Welcome!

Hi,in my opinion this aureus is a fake.
Remember that roman gold coins have always a definite and superb style of the dies,aureus is at the top of roman coinage.
Looking at this coin I say that the portrait on the obverse isn't totally in the correct style there's something wrong in emperor's hair....even the reverse is approximated as particular and I can't see from this pic the signs of the die struck around letters,maybe with a lens you can see better.finally this coin seems porous and the holes near the letters "TIO" on the reverse make me think it can be a fusion.
However I may be wrong and this is only my feeling.

giano: IF it is a fake, I suspect that the original may have been a denarius.

This particular coin has been faked several times. I haven't found a die/flan match so far but the style doesn't look quite right and the features look awfully soft. Can you see any casting seam on the side?

While I agree with sel_69l in every other way on this coin, I'll put more value into larger flan diameter, full weight, better engraving and more careful striking. Aureii were a lot of money. They were made more carefully using better dies (occasionally we see a denarius that may have used aureus dies but less often the reverse). The OP coin is not even good style for a denarius. There is no way it is genuine. I suspect the dies are not even copied directly from an ancient coin but are made by a modern engraver. It is not unknown for modern fakers to produce coins in more than one metal which might account for a light weight gold coin but I do not have an example from these dies to offer.

Seriously, no one should buy an aureus from anyone except a dealer both knowledgeable and trustworthy enough. This is not a flea market purchase to consider.