Antoninianus — Aurelian — Pietas AVG

Obverse: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right

Reverse: PIETAS AVG ("the piety of the emperor"), emperor holding patera facing a priest holding patera, sacrificing at altar, S in exergue

Mint Info: Milan

Catalogues: RIC V-1 138 (Milan)

Mass: 2.07 g

Diameter: 22 mm

The reverse type PIETAS AVG emphasizes the emperor's devotion to the gods and his fulfillment of traditional Roman religious duties. It depicts the emperor and a priest facing one another, each holding a patera as they perform a sacrifice over an altar, reinforcing the idea that proper religious observance was essential to the prosperity and stability of the empire. The mintmark S identifies the issuing officina at the Milan mint.

Aurelian ruled the Roman Empire from AD 270 to 275 and is best remembered for reuniting the fractured empire after defeating both the Palmyrene and Gallic Empires, earning the title Restitutor Orbis ("Restorer of the World"). By his reign, the antoninianus had become a heavily debased bronze coin with only a thin silver coating, though it remained the empire's principal circulating denomination. Religious reverse types such as PIETAS AVG were widely used to present the emperor as a dutiful guardian of Rome's traditions whose piety secured divine favor for the state.