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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 1,169
The Mad Polar Bear New Member United States 2 Posts	Posted 12/26/2011 12:59 am I have had this coin for over thirty years. I have worn it around my neck off and on for years. (I did NOT drill the hole in the coin. Someone did that long, long before I came into possession of the coin. Over the years, I have looked at pictures of old Roman coins until I have almost gone blind from the effort, all to no avail. I come across coins that are similar, but I have never been able to find one just like it. Please help! Does anyone know anything about this coin? Report this Post to the Staff

jessvc1 Pillar of the Community United States 2596 Posts	Posted 12/26/2011 01:45 am could the legend for the reverse be FELICITAS AVG S-C Edited by jessvc1 12/26/2011 01:47 am Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21788 Posts	Posted 12/26/2011 02:51 am The Mad Polar Bear: My daughter would have a forum name like that! Oh, by the way, welcome to the CCF! Your coin ia a Roman denarius of Antoninus Pius, who was Emperor of the Roman Empire from A.D. 138 to 161. The reverse is a personification of Felicitas (good luck). A silver denarius was good for an ordinary worker's pay for a day. I will leave you to Google Antoninus Pius for yourself, but it should make interesting reading. He was one of best of the Emperors of the Roman Empire. Report this Post to the Staff
dougsmit Pillar of the Community United States 1549 Posts	Posted 12/26/2011 06:23 am The coin is see in the photo has SC on the reverse which means it is a bronze. It looks like a copper as denomination but that would require a weight to be sure. I read PIETAS AVG SC making it BMC 1754 (but not the same dies as the plate they show). I don't own the RIC volume for Pius (preferring the British Museum Catalog for the period). Perhaps another with the book will look it up. Even with the hole, I'd consider it a coin worth owning. Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21788 Posts	Posted 12/26/2011 08:16 am I was a bit too quick, and did not notice the obvious "SC" The color deceived me somewhat. So I had to look elsewhere, and later consulted my R.I.C. and now thus agree that the reverse legend is PIETAS AVG SC This best matches up to R.I.C. 617. Obverse Laureate head facing right. Reverse: Pietas (personification of Piety), standing left, dropping incense on a candelabrum, and holding a box of incense. The obverse legend is not clear enough to read, but if the coin is R.I.C. 617, the obverse legend is ANTONINUS AVG PIVS PP TR P COS 111. Antoninus Pius received his third consulship in AD 140, but it was not renewed before his death in 161 AD. Because of the color, it may be silver plated, but that being the case, with extensive wear some of the plating should have worn off to reveal the copper alloy underneath. I cannot see any evidence of this in the picture, which also shows (presumably), a silver suspension chain. Very difficult to weigh this piece if the chain is soldered on, but at least the approximate diameter should confirm that the coin is a brass or bronze piece, rather than the smaller module denarius. Report this Post to the Staff
The Mad Polar Bear New Member United States 2 Posts	Posted 12/26/2011 09:20 am Thank you all for your replies; I really appreciate it! Thanks again, The Mad Polar Bear Link removed and larger pictures added by Staff Report this Post to the Staff
sel_69l Bedrock of the Community Australia 21788 Posts	Posted 12/26/2011 9:17 pm With the larger pictures, I suggest that you temporarily remove it from the chain, then measure the diameter, and weigh it This information will help to determine iof it is silver plated or a smaller module silver denarius. Note that silver denarii were issued directly under the authority of the Emperor, and not under the authority of the Roman Senate and therefore do not have "SC" on them. "SC" is an abbreviation for 'SENATUS CONSULTO' Report this Post to the Staff
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