Denarius of Antoninus Pius

The denarius – the  of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, minted in 138 was found in 1865. Its surfaces are preserved in different condition, but the depictions and inscriptions are generally legible. The coin obverse shows the Emperor bust turned to the right. Bearded face and a head without a headdress resemble the depictions of JuliusCaesar. Around the bust, in the coin rim, there is the inscription IMP T AEL CAES HADRI ANTONINVS. The reverse is more worn. Both the depicted person and the inscription are partially illegible. It resembles a standing figure of Diana (the goddess of hunting, nature, and fertility), turned to the right, wearing a women’s chiton – a type of tunic with short sleeves, made of linen or wool. She poses with a bow in her left hand raised to the height of the goddess’ head, and an arrow in her right lowered hand. The reverse’s rim contains the partially preserved inscription AVG PIVS P M TR P COS DES II. Single coin findings could be a part of larger, scattered hoards. They are also discovered around settlements and cemeteries, often without any archaeological context. Initially, researchers did not pay much attention to such findings, despite their relatively common occurrence in the Pomeranian region. In time, they have become a valuable source of data for studies on coin influx, circulation, and function in the economic and social systems of the early centuries of the Common Era.

Monika Witek