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Brass Dupondius (28mm 12.49g) Struck AD 155-156 Rome
Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P IMP II Radiate bust right
Rev: TR POT XIX COS IIII S C Pax standing left, holding branch and cornucopia
RIC III 952 Sear 4288
ex. Pagane Coins
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The Front (Obverse): The Emperor's Portrait
The front features a portrait of the emperor facing right.
- The Spiky Crown: You will notice he is wearing a spiky, sun-like crown. This is a radiate crown. In Roman coinage, this was the ultimate cheat-sheet for regular citizens; it explicitly signaled that the coin was a dupondius rather than a copper as, which looked similar but showed the emperor wearing a laurel wreath instead.
- The Inscription: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P IMP II
- ANTONINVS AVG (Augustus) PIVS: His name and title. "Pius" was a nickname given to him by the Roman Senate because he was incredibly respectful, dutiful, and loyal to his adoptive father, Emperor Hadrian.
- P P (Pater Patriae): "Father of the Country," an honorific title given to beloved emperors.
- IMP II (Imperator II): This means he was acclaimed as a victorious military commander for the second time in his life (celebrating Roman victories, most notably in Britain where the Antonine Wall was built).
The Back (Reverse): A Message of Peace
The back shows a female figure standing and holding a branch and a horn of plenty.
- The Figure: This is Pax, the Roman goddess of peace. She is holding an olive branch (representing peace) and a cornucopia (representing the abundance and wealth that peace brings).
- The Inscription: TR POT XIX COS IIII S C
- TR POT XIX (Tribunicia Potestate XIX): This means he was holding the "Tribunician Power" (the power to veto laws and protect the people) for the 19th time. Because this power was renewed every year, historians can pinpoint the exact year this coin was made: AD 155–156.
- COS IIII (Consul IV): He was serving his fourth term as Consul, the highest elected political office in Rome.
- S C (Senatus Consulto): "By decree of the Senate." This stamped approval showed that the bronze and brass coinage was officially backed by Rome's governing body.
The Big Picture Meaning
This coin is essentially a piece of imperial political messaging. Antoninus Pius’s reign was famously one of the most peaceful stretches in the entire history of the Roman Empire. By putting Pax (Peace) on the back holding a basket of plenty, and linking it directly to his own face and titles on the front, the coin sends a clear and cozy message to anyone spending it: "Under the leadership of your dutiful Emperor Antoninus, Rome is peaceful, safe, and prosperous."
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