Roman Bronze Sestertius - Rome 153-154 AD - Marcus Aurelius

Roman Bronze Sestertius - Rome 153-154 AD - Marcus Aurelius

• Date: 153-154 AD
• Size: 33.25 mm, 20.34 g
• Composition: Bronze
• Internal SKU: 99X444

HISTORICAL NOTE: Marcus Aurelius (AD 161 - 180): Marcus Aurelius, also known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, was the sixteenth Emperor of Rome. He is best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy, and he has symbolized for many generations in the West the Golden Age of the Roman Empire. Marcus Aurelius’ coinage featured his portrait on the obverse, with various designs on the reverse that often commemorated his philosophical beliefs and military victories. He issued several denominations, including the gold Aureus, the silver Denarius, and various bronze coins. Despite the challenges of his reign, including the Marcomannic Wars and the outbreak of the Antonine Plague, Marcus Aurelius maintained the weight and purity of the Roman coinage. Sestertius: The Sestertius was a large brass coin used during the Roman Empire. It was first minted in the mid-3rd century BC and was initially a small silver coin. However, during the reign of Augustus in the 1st century AD, the Sestertius was reintroduced as a large brass coin. It was valued at one-quarter of a Denarius and was used for large-scale transactions and public expenditures.