Lucius Verus, AD 161-169

THRACE, Pautalia (Ulpia Pautalia, modern Kyustendil, Bulgaria)

• Ruler: Lucius Verus, co-emperor AD 161-169

• Date: circa 161-169

• Denomination: AE (bronze, ∼27mm module, often called a 4-assaria)

• Weight / size: 9.52 g, 27 mm.

• Obverse: ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ Λ ΑΥΡΗΛΙΟϹ ΟΥΗΡΟϹ, bare head right.

• Reverse: ΟΥΛΠΙΑϹ ΠΑΥΤΑΛΙΑϹ, Tyche standing left, turreted, holding patera and cornucopia; at her feet, river-god Strymon reclining left, holding reed, left elbow on overturned urn from which water flows

• References: type is well-known at Pautalia for Antoninus Pius — Ruzicka 19 describes exactly "Bearded river-god (Strymon) reclining… before him the turreted city goddess… holding patera… and cornucopiae", and RPC IV.1 8757 records the same composition for Pius. The Lucius Verus obverse legend matches RPC's Pautalia entry ΑΥ ΚΑΙ Λ ΑΥΡΗΛΙΟϹ ΟΥΗΡΟϹ. For Verus the exact pairing is scarce in the standard handbooks (not in Moushmov 4119-4124, Varbanov lists other reverses), so cataloguers usually cite it as "cf. Ruzicka 19; cf. RPC IV 8757 (for Pius)".