Divus Antoninus Pius AD 161. Consecration issue struck under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Rome
Denarius AR

18 mm, 3,13 g

DIVVS ANTONINVS, bare head right / CONSECRATIO, funeral pyre of four tiers surmounted by facing quadriga.

Very Fine

RIC 436; RSC 164.

After the death of Antoninus Pius in AD 161, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, who succeeded him as co-emperors, issued a series of coins in Rome to commemorate his deification. These coins were part of a consecration issue, a traditional practice to honor a respected emperor after his passing by elevating him to divine status. The obverse of these coins typically featured a portrait of Antoninus Pius, now referred to as "Divus Antoninus," indicating his status as a god. The reverse of the coins often depicted symbolic imagery associated with his deification. One common design shows Antoninus Pius being carried to the heavens by an eagle, a symbol of his apotheosis, or seated on a ceremonial chair. Other designs might include representations of a funeral pyre, or the personification of Eternity holding a globe, symbolizing the emperor’s eternal presence. These coins served to reinforce the divine status of Antoninus Pius and to legitimize the rule of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus by emphasizing their connection to a deified predecessor. The consecration coins circulated throughout the empire, reminding the Roman people of the continuity and stability provided by the imperial family.