Nomos 17

Marcus Aurelius, 161-180. Aureus (Gold, 20 mm, 7.30 g, 6 h), Rome, 178. M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Marcus Aurelius to right. Rev. TR P XXXII IMP VIIII COS III P P Annona standing left, holding two corn ears in her right hand and cornucopia with her left; at her feet to left, altar heaped with fruits; to right, galley stern adorned with a swan's head. BMC 771 var. (but with a modius instead an altar on the reverse). Calicó 2019 var. (but with a modius instead of an altar on the reverse). Cohen -. RIC 389 var. (but with a modius instead of an altar on the reverse). Same dies as the only other available example: NGSA 7, 27 November 2012, 369. An extremely rare variety in exceptional condition. Toned and sharp. Good extremely fine.

From the DeBakey collection, ex Numismatica Ars Classica 84, 20 May 2015, 1032.

An interesting fact about this coin concerns the ship on the reverse: almost all cataloguers call it a ship's prow, but as can be seen here, there is a curved feature on top of the ship's deck. This is, in fact, a swan's head, which was the typical ornament of the stern of a Roman merchant ship! Of course, a merchant vessel, in this case surely one of the grain ships from Alexandria, was particularly appropriate for Annona, the goddess of the grain dole.