Ancient Gold Coins - Roman Imperial

Lot 3718    Session 14 (11:30am Thursday 28th July)    Ancient Gold Coins - Roman Imperial

Estimate $18,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $23,000

LUCIUS VERUS, (A.D. 161-169), gold aureus, issued 164, Rome mint, (7.32 g), obv. L VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS, laureate and cuirassed bust of Lucius Verus to right, rev. Hercules standing facing, his head turned to the right wearing lion skin over his head and around his left arm, holding olive branch in his right hand and his club in his left hand, around TR P IIII IMP II COS II, (S.5337, RIC 517, cf.C.237, BMC 281, Calico 2172). Good extremely fine or better and as struck, very rare.

Ex Leu Numismatik AG Auction 87, 6th May 2003 (lot 36) from the collection of a perfectionist who acquired it privately in 1967.
The youthful Hercules on the reverse of this rare coin is not the Hercules Gaditanus of Trajan's coinage, but Hercules Pacifero, the restorer of peace after the victories of Lucius Verus in Armenia. Verus continued his campaign in the following year, culminating in his sack of the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon, in 165, and a great triumph was held in Rome in 166. Soon thereafter both emperors moved north to face the Marcomanni, over whom they were also ultimately victorious. On his way back to Rome in 169 Verus died of what was apparently a stroke at the age of 38. Marcus Aurelius probably genuinely mourned his passing, especially since it led to far greater burdens being imposed on the rapidly aging senior emperor.