Lucius Verus, Gold Aureus, Campaign and Victory in Armenia, AD 163-4, Rome

Lucius Verus (AD 161-169), gold Aureus, Rome, December 163-December 164, L VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS, bust right, laureate, draped and cuirassed, rev. TR P IIII IMP II COS II, Victory, half draped, standing right, placing on a palm tree a shield inscribed VIC AVG, 7.38g, 6h (RIC III 525 [Aurelius]; MIR 18, 94-12/37; Calicó 2177 [same dies as illustration]; BMCRE 296, note [Aurelius and Verus]; Biaggi 960 [same dies]; Jameson 142 [same dies]; Mazzini 247 [same dies]). Extremely fine.

Provenance:

Ex CNG eAuction 445, 5 June 2019, lot 458

This gold aureus of Lucius Verus, struck at Rome between 163-164 AD, commemorates an important moment in the emperor's reign and Rome's military successes in the East. The obverse portrays Lucius Verus wearing a laurel wreath, with a draped and cuirassed bust, accompanied by the legend L VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS. The title Armeniacus refers to his role in the Roman campaign against Parthia and the successful reconquest of Armenia.

Lucius Verus became emperor alongside his adoptive brother Marcus Aurelius following the death of Antoninus Pius in 161 AD. Marcus refused to rule unless the senate make Lucius co-emperor. Although Marcus remained the senior and more influential ruler, Lucius was entrusted with command of the eastern war against the Parthian Empire. The conflict culminated in a series of Roman victories under generals acting in Lucius's name, including the capture of the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon, in 165 AD. These successes earned Lucius the prestigious titles Armeniacus, Parthicus, and Medicus.

The reverse depicts Victory, partially draped, standing beside a palm tree and placing upon it a shield inscribed VIC AVG. The inscription TR P IIII IMP II COS II identifies Lucius's fourth tribunician power, second acclamation as Imperator, and second consulship, providing a precise date for the issue.

The eastern campaign under Lucius Verus was followed by the Antonine Plague, which began around 165 AD. The disease spread westward with Roman troops returning from the eastern campaign, although the exact origin and route of the epidemic remain debated.

The outbreak became a devastating empire-wide epidemic during the reign of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, probably lasting into the 180s. It is often identified as smallpox, though the precise disease cannot be established with certainty from the surviving evidence. this aureus celebrates Lucius Verus's victory in the East, while the returning armies may also have helped carry a catastrophic epidemic into the Roman Empire.