Choice Extremely Fine Roman Empire silver denarius coin.
Struck forCaesar Marcus Aureliusat the Rome Mint during the reign of his adopted father Emperor Antoninus Pius.
Dated: TR POT XIIII COS II DESIG III = 159 to 160 CE.
Rare transitional COS II to COS III reverse legend, exists for only one reverse type for TR POT XIIII.
RIC 486, RSC 765, 3.40g, approx. 18mm.
Well struck with appealing portrait of Marcus Aurelius.
Certified byNGC to Ch XF,Strike 5/5 Surface 4/5 (very high subgrades).
Obverse: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F, bare head right.
Reverse: TR POT XIIII COS II DESIG III, Mars standing front, head left, holding inverted spear and resting hand on shield.
Mars was the god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter and he was the most prominent of themilitary gods in the religion of the Roman army.