Gemini III, January 9th, 2007
 Lot # 402 - Auction is closed.Estimate: US$10000 / Price 
 Realized: US$27500 
   
  Marcus Aurelius as Caesar. (138-161 AD). Gold aureus (7.25 gm). 
  Rome, 149-150 AD. 
AVRELIVS - CAESAR AVG PII F, bare-headed, draped bust right.
PIETAS TR POT III COS II, Pietas standing left, with two children; she extends her right hand over a girl, draped and 
with long hair gathered behind in a small knot, who stands 
left at her feet, looking up at Pietas and extending her 
  right arm; Pietas carries the second child, a facing naked boy, in 
  her left arm. Cohen 443 (80 Fr., citing Caylus). BMCRE p. 101 
  (citing Cohen). RIC 449. Calico 1882 (no illustration). 
Apparently unique, the aureus in Paris having been melted 
down after the robbery of 1831. The former Paris aureus of 
these types is known only from Cohen’s description and from 
a schematic drawing of its reverse type in the ca. 1760 work
by Caylus on the Roman gold coins in the French royal 
collection, pl. 26, 537. The same reverse type occurs on 
rare sestertii and dupondii of Marcus as Caesar. Our coin 
not only confirms the existence of the aureus but tells us
that Marcus Aurelius’ second child, a boy, whose birth is 
evidently recorded in this reverse, must have been born early in Marcus’ third tribunician year, since the obverse 
die of our aureus had already been used during his preceding second tribunician year, BMCRE pl. 13.19. The same birth is 
apparently commemorated by the type of two heads of children 
emerging from crossed cornucopiae on coins of Antoninus Pius 
dated TR P XII, but so far no evidence has emerged to show 
exactly when in the course of the year that type was struck.

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Lot 402 sold for high bid of $27500 [ $31625, or approx 24446.125 EUR, £16128.75 including 15% buyers fee.] 

Re-used by permission of Harlan J Berk (www.harlanjberk.com) 
and Freeman & Sear (www.freemanandsear.com)