Pre-Long Beach Auction #80

Marcus Aurelius, with Commodus, as Caesar. Silver Denarius (3.25 g), AD 161-180. Rome, AD 175. M ANTONINVS AVG GERM TR P XXIX, laureate head of Marcus Aurelius right. Reverse COMMODVS CAES AVG FIL GERM, bare-headed and draped bust of Commodus right. RIC 336a; Szaivert 302-4/30; BMC 625, note; RSC 1c. Boldly struck, well centered and attractively toned. Of the highest rarity, very few specimens known. Extremely Fine.

The underlying feature of the Adoptive emperors, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and jointly Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, is that each had been adopted by his predecessor and cultivated to take over the reigns of power once the throne was vacant. This was an innovative and sound approach to the succession which provided Rome with excellent emperors and great stability throughout most of the second century AD. Marcus Aurelius, however, was a man thoroughly doting towards his family and broke with this tradition when he elevated his own son, Commodus, as Caesar in 166. As it turned out, once he had obtained sole rule Commodus proved thoroughly unsuited for the task, as he was mentally unbalanced and exceptionally cruel.

The dual-portrait dynasty denarii of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus as Caesar are exceptionally rare, having been struck for a very short time sometime between July 7, when Commodus received the toga virilis and then end of September, when Aurelius began using the title Sarmaticus on his coinage. Sear notes "perhaps only one or two of the last three [varieties of dynastic denarii of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus] exist," while RIC notes only one specimen of this particular variety with the bust of Commodus draped, Ratto (8 February 1928), 3098, of which this coin shares both its obverse and reverse dies (particular thanks goes to Dr. T. V. Buttrey, Honorary Keeper of Ancient Coins, Department of Coins and Medals at the Fitzwilliam Museum, who has built a monumental collection of auction sale catalogues for the department, for comparing the dies of our coin to the Ratto specimen).
Estimated Value $10,000 - 12,000.
Ex Imagines Imperatorvm Sale (Aureo & Calicó, 8 February 2012), 119; NAC 18 (29 March 2000), 557.