140 NGC XF Antoninus Pius Roman Empire Denarius Wolf Twins Grotto 5/5 (21083002C)
Extremely Fine Emperor Antoninus Pius Roman Empire silver denarius coin.
3.27g, , RIC 95 (scarce), attributed to 140-143 CE, Foss 62e (issued in connection with the 900th Anniversary of Rome).
According to Foss: "The celebration was prefigured by a remarkable series of coins, most of them struck between 140 and 144 (with a few repeated later in the reign), figuring scenes from ancient Roman legends."
Obverse: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS, laureate head of emperor right.
Reverse: TR POT COS III, she wolf suckling twins within grotto.
This coin is an important reference to the founding of Rome. In the Roman foundation myth, it was a she-wolf that nursed and sheltered the twins Romulus and Remus after they were abandoned in the wild by order of King Amulius of Alba Longa. She cared for the infants at her den, a cave known as the Lupercal, until they were discovered by a shepherd, Faustulus. Romulus would later become the founder and first king of Rome. The image of the she-wolf suckling the twins has been a symbol of Rome since ancient times and is one of the most recognizable icons of ancient mythology.
NGC Certified to XF: Strike 5/5: Surface 5/5.
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