Marcus Aurelius, denarius, silver, reign 161-180 CE, minted 173-174 CE

Marcus Aurelius, denarius, silver, reign 161-180 CE, minted 173-174 CE, weight 3.25 g, diameter 18 mm. Obverse: bare head of Marcus Aurelius right with legend M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVIII. Reverse: Roma standing right, holding Victory in extended right hand and spear in left, legend IMP VII COS III. Strike: hammered, well-centered with full borders and clear legend. Toning: light grey with slight golden peripheral highlights. References: RIC III 316; BMCRE 488; RSC 320. Issued during Marcus Aurelius’s twenty-eighth tribunician year, this denarius coincides with the later phase of the Marcomannic Wars. The reverse personification of Roma holding Victory emphasizes ongoing military successes along the Danube frontier. The legends record his seventh imperial acclamation and third consulship, fixing the issue to 173-174 CE. Struck at Rome, the silver denarius remained the backbone of imperial pay for soldiers and civil obligations, illustrating both fiscal policy and propaganda under the philosopher-emperor.