Given that few ancient accounts of the reign of
Antoninus Pius survive from
antiquity, other monuments, in particular coinage, become important in reconstructing
his reign. In this article
coin hoards are used to reconstruct a quantitative understanding of Pius’s numismatic imagery. It is clear from the results that the three different coin metals (gold, silver and
aes) differed in their messages: while
gold coinage emphasized the imperial family and the concept of
pietas, silver and
aes coinage focused on the emperor’s concern for the grain supply (
annona). This broad understanding of Pius’s numismatic image is supplemented by more detailed analysis of coin iconography in particular years. The
liberalitas and
Britannia series of Pius are explored in depth.The study highlights coinage’ s role as one imperial monument among many, contributing to the communication of imperial ideologies. It is clear that the image of Pius as a virtuous emperor ruling in a
‘ Golden Age’ was one cultivated by the imperial bureaucracy, and so it is not surprising that the concept features in the preserved texts. The long-term impact of Pius’ s coinage is also considered. In the absence of significant quantities of
aes coinage struck by the Severans,the coinage of Pius continued to be of importance in many regions throughout the third century,conveying impressions of Empire among users well after the emperor’s death.
https://www.academia.edu/1969318/_2013_Imaging_the_Golden_Age_The_Coinage_of_Antoninus_Pius_Papers_of_the_British_School_at_Rome_81_pp._211-46?email_work_card=title
