Nomos 17

Lucius Verus, 161-169. Aureus (Gold, 19 mm, 7.33 g, 12 h), Rome, 163-164. L VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS Bare head of Lucius Verus to right. Rev. TR P IIII IMP II COS II / REX ARMEN DAT Lucius Verus seated left on platform, between an officer on his right and a soldier on his left; before him on the ground below, Armenian king Sohaemus standing left, raising his right hand to accept the crown placed on his head by Verus. Biaggi 956 (same dies). BMC 300. Calicó 2154 (same dies). Cohen 158. RIC 512 (Marcus Aurelius). Sharp, clear and well-centered. Good extremely fine.

From the DeBakey Collection, and from the collections of J. J. Grano, Numismatica Genevensis SA 8, 24 November 2014, 102, A. Bally-Herzog, Münzen und Medaillen 93, 16 December 2003, and A. Bain. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 11 July 1901, 39, and from the Aventine hoard of 1893.

This issue of Lucius Verus is of great historical interest because it commemorates the reestablishment of Gaius Julius Sohaemus as king of Armenia. Sohaemus was a member of the royal family of Emesa, as well as being a Roman Senator, and had been made king of Armenia in 144. He was deposed by the Parthians in 161, but was then restored to the throne as a result of the successful Roman counter offensive. The fact that aurei of this type are known in superb condition is because of the Aventine Hoard of 1893: found in Rome during construction work, this hoard contained several hundred aurei of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, many fresh and as struck. While a considerable number were retained by the Vatican museum, all of the remainder, including many examples struck from the same pair of dies, were sold. As a result, virtually all of the coins known of this type derive from that find.