1033. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 25.88 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 141-143. Laureate head right / Juno Sospita advancing right, brandishing javelin and holding shield, preceded by snake. RIC III 608; Banti 201. Good VF, brown patina, minor pit on neck. Rare. ($500) From the John Bitner Collection. Ex Peus 378 (28 April 2004), lot 619.
1034
1035
1034. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (35mm, 25.17 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 141-143. Laureate head right / Ops seated left, holding scepter and adjusting her mantle on left shoulder. RIC III 612 var. (flower on chair stretcher); Banti 245. Good VF, green-brown patina. Rare. ($1000) From the John Bitner Collection. Ex Rauch 75 (6 May 2005), lot 492.
REX ARMENIS DATVS 1035. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (30mm, 26.62 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 141-143. Laureate head right / REX ARMENIIS DATVS, Pius standing left, holding roll and placing hand on head of Armenian king, who raises hand to adjust tiara. RIC III 619; Banti 322. Good VF, brown patina, old cleaning scratches in fields. ($750) As Rome and Parthia (and, later, the Sasanians) vied with one another for control of the border territories in eastern Anatolia and northrn Syria, the kingdom of Armenia became a crucial prize for both. With a client-king installed on its throne, Armenia could serve as an important buffer for either empire. Thus, the appointment of a new ruler to the Armenian throne was an important event. Given that this sestertius was struck during the third consulship of Pius (AD 140-144), the only possible candidate for the new Armenian king represented here is Sohemo (first reign, circa AD 140/44-161).
Imperial Romulus
1036. Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 26.60 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 141-143. Laureate head right / Romulus advancing right, holding spear and trophy over shoulder. RIC III 624; Banti 337 (this coin). Good VF, mottled dark brown and dark olive-green patina, light smoothing in fields. ($2000) From the John Bitner Collection. Ex Michael Weller Collection (Triton VIII, 11 January 2005), lot 1021; Leo Benz Collection (Lanz 94, 122 November 1999), lot 549; Monetarium List 40 (Fall 1983), lot 125; Numismatic Fine Arts XII (23 March 1983), lot 273; M. L. Collection (J. Vinchon, 23 April 1976), lot 81. The presence of Romulus on the reverse of this type can be seen to have both past and future iconographical significance at the time when it was utilized. Since he was required to use the Roman military in actions abroad for the well-being of the empire, the likening to Romulus is apparent. As the 900th anniversary of the founding of the city lay only 17 years away, however, a similar reference to one of Rome’s legendary founders also seems appropriate.
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