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Marcus Aurelius AR Denarius AD 163-164 Concordia RIC 106 NGC Ch VF
Marcus Aurelius — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (born Marcus Annius Verus), Roman Emperor from 7 March AD 161 to 17 March AD 180.
AR Denarius; Rome mint; AD 163–164; silver; 16 mm; 3.39 g; bare head of Marcus Aurelius right / Concordia holding patera and double cornucopiae; RIC III 106; RSC/Cohen 850; NGC Ch VF (Choice Very Fine); certified by NGC Ancients, Certification No. 6557887-021.
Empire: Roman Empire
Ruler: Marcus Aurelius
Full academic name: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus
Birth name: Marcus Annius Verus
Reign: 7 March AD 161 – 17 March AD 180
Mint: Rome
Date of issue: AD 163–164
Denomination: Denarius
Metal: Silver (AR)
Weight: 3.39 g
Diameter: 16 mm
Manufacture: Struck
References: RIC III 106; RSC/Cohen 850
Grade: NGC Ch VF — Choice Very Fine
Certification: NGC Ancients
Certification number: 6557887-021
M ANTONINVS AVG IMP II
Bare head of Marcus Aurelius right.
The emperor's head is depicted without a laurel wreath, diadem, crown, or other form of headgear. Only the characteristic thick, curled hair of Marcus Aurelius is present. This bare-headed portrait is one of the principal diagnostic characteristics identifying the variety as RIC III 106.
Expanded legend:
M(arcus) ANTONINVS AVG(ustus) IMP(erator) II
Translation:
“Marcus Antoninus Augustus, acclaimed Imperator for the second time.”
The name Antoninus entered the official imperial titulature of Marcus Aurelius as a consequence of his adoption by Antoninus Pius and his position within the Antonine dynastic succession.
The title AVG — Augustus denotes supreme imperial dignity, while IMP II — Imperator II records the emperor's second imperial acclamation.
The portrait belongs to the distinctive early imperial portraiture of Marcus Aurelius, characterized by his mature facial features, beard, and abundant curled hair, which contributed to the philosophical image with which the emperor subsequently became so closely associated.
TR P XVIII COS III
Concordia standing left, holding a patera in her extended right hand and double cornucopiae in her left arm.
The exergue is blank; there is no inscription in the exergue.
Expanded legend:
TR(ibunicia) P(otestate) XVIII CO(n)S(ul) III
Translation:
“Holder of tribunician power for the eighteenth time, consul for the third time.”
The designation TR P XVIII is one of the principal chronological elements of the coin and refers to the eighteenth tribunician year of Marcus Aurelius, permitting the issue to be dated to AD 163–164.
COS III records the emperor's third consulship.
The central reverse figure is Concordia, the Roman personification of concord, harmony, social order, and political unity.
Concordia stands facing left. In her extended right hand she holds a patera, the shallow ritual vessel traditionally employed for sacrificial libations.
In her left arm she carries the distinctive double cornucopiae, a symbol of abundance, prosperity, and the benefits associated with harmonious and stable government.
The combination of the patera and double cornucopiae is diagnostic for the identification of Concordia and distinguishes this reverse from superficially similar representations of Pax, Providentia, and other female personifications encountered on Roman imperial coinage.
Of particular importance, there is no inscription in the exergue of this variety. The lower reverse field is an integral part of the design and contains neither the word PAX nor any other supplementary legend.
The present denarius should therefore not be confused with later issues of Marcus Aurelius depicting Pax and carrying the explicit inscription PAX.
The present specimen is attributed as:
RIC III 106
RSC/Cohen 850
The complete diagnostic combination is:
Obv.: M ANTONINVS AVG IMP II — bare head right.
Rev.: TR P XVIII COS III — Concordia standing left, holding patera and double cornucopiae.
The bare-headed portrait is particularly important for the precise identification of this variety.
The most appropriate academic attribution is therefore:
Marcus Aurelius. AR Denarius. Rome. AD 163–164. RIC III 106; RSC 850.
In a professional numismatic description, the historical RIC rarity classification must be distinguished from modern market availability.
The present specimen is securely attributed as RIC III 106. Without direct verification of the original RIC rarity table, however, it would be academically inappropriate to assign an unverified designation such as C, S, R, or R2 merely on the basis of modern market appearances.
Contemporary numismatic databases indicate substantially more limited representation of the specific RIC III 106 bare-headed Concordia variety, but such modern rarity indices are not equivalent to the historical rarity scale employed by RIC.
The academically conservative catalogue formulation is therefore:
Rarity: RIC III 106; no unverified RIC rarity designation assigned. The bare-headed Concordia variety is considerably less frequently encountered on the modern market than many standard Marcus Aurelius denarius types.
This formulation avoids artificially exaggerating the coin's rarity while accurately recognizing the comparatively limited modern availability of this specific variety.
The coin has been professionally authenticated and graded by NGC Ancients.
Grade: NGC Ch VF — Choice Very Fine.
NGC Certification No.: 6557887-021.
The Choice Very Fine designation represents an attractive degree of preservation for an ancient coin that circulated nearly nineteen centuries ago.
The obverse retains a particularly expressive portrait of Marcus Aurelius, with readily distinguishable facial features, beard, and characteristic curls of hair. A substantial portion of the obverse legend remains clearly legible.
The reverse retains the principal elements of the figure of Concordia and her attributes, while the titulature TR P XVIII COS III remains identifiable.
At 3.39 g, the weight is entirely appropriate for a silver denarius of Marcus Aurelius of this period and falls within the characteristic weight range documented for surviving specimens of this particular type.
The coin displays an attractive natural silver-grey toning, somewhat deeper within the recessed areas of the design and lighter across portions of the higher relief.
This variation creates a natural contrast that emphasizes the imperial portrait, the emperor's hair and beard, the surviving letters of the legends, and the principal details of Concordia on the reverse.
The surfaces display the characteristic appearance of ancient silver with age-related toning. Overall, the coin presents as an attractive Roman silver denarius in the professionally certified grade of NGC Choice Very Fine.
Marcus Aurelius, whose full imperial name was Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, was born on 26 April AD 121 as Marcus Annius Verus.
Born into a prominent Roman family, he became part of the dynastic succession established by Emperor Hadrian. In AD 138, at Hadrian's direction, Antoninus Pius adopted the future Marcus Aurelius together with Lucius Verus.
Following the death of Antoninus Pius on 7 March AD 161, Marcus Aurelius became emperor. He insisted that Lucius Verus should receive equal imperial rank, creating an important precedent for the formal joint government of the Roman Empire by two Augusti.
The opening years of their joint reign coincided with a major conflict against the Parthian Empire. The present denarius, struck in AD 163–164, belongs precisely to this early phase of the reign.
Within this historical context, the choice of Concordia for the reverse was particularly appropriate. The personification of concord could express political harmony, stability within the imperial house, and the successful cooperation expected between the co-emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.
The later years of Marcus Aurelius' reign were marked by epidemic disease and prolonged warfare along the Danubian frontier, particularly against the Marcomanni, Quadi, and other peoples.
Despite the immense military and administrative burdens of imperial government, Marcus Aurelius became famous in later history as the philosopher-emperor and one of the most important representatives of Roman Stoicism. His personal philosophical writings, conventionally known as the Meditations (Meditationes), explore duty, reason, moral self-discipline, human nature, and the individual's relationship with fate and mortality.
Marcus Aurelius died on 17 March AD 180 while engaged in military operations on the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. His reign extended from 7 March AD 161 until 17 March AD 180.
The present silver denarius constitutes a tangible historical document from the early years of his imperial rule and is particularly distinguished by the combination of the emperor's bare-headed portrait with the allegorical figure of Concordia, symbolizing harmony and political unity.