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137 NGC XF Aelius Caesar Roman Empire Denarius Pietas Rare (21110201C)

Regular price $3,995.00

  • Extremely Fine Roman Empire Aelius Caesar silver denarius coin.
  • Issued as Caesar during the reign of Aelius' adopted farther Emperor Hadrian.
  • 3.18g, 19mm, minted 137 CE, RIC H429 (rated as Rare), RSC 34.
  • Rare obverse variety with COS II on obverse legend, only two types as such!
  • Aelius only issued in 137 CE as he died before he could assume the purple. His coinage is scarce to rare!
  • Certified by NGC to XF, well struck & centered.
  • Obverse: L AELIVS CAESAR TR P COS II, bare head right.
  • Reverse: PIETAS, Pietas standing left by altar raising both hands. 
  • Pietas is the Goddess of duty, loyalty and piety. This likely a reference to the loyalty Aelius shows to his father Hadrian.
  • Pedigree: Ex. Harlan Berk with his ticket, where the following is given: Rare obverse legend for Aelius, TR P COS II normally appears on the reverse instead. Very Rare reverse type, apparently only the third or fourth specimen recorded. Cohen knew this coin only from Elberling, a Belgian private collection; that may be the same or a different specimen than the one that passed to the BM from the Bank of England Collection in 1877. Strack 404 records the BM specimen, plus one more in the Conservatori Museum, Rome. Not represented in the Reka Devnia hoard. Of the 156 denarii of Aelius in that hoard, six had the same obverse legend as our coin, but all six showed the other reverse type known with this obverse, namely CONCORDIA standing.
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