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Roman Empire
Antoninius Pius
Fourrée Aureus
羅馬帝國
安東尼·庇護
仿製奧里烏斯金幣
Item number: A1574
Year: AD 138-161
Material: Gold-gilt Bronze
Size: 17.7 x 15.6 x 1.7 mm
Weight: 3.0 g
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2015
This coin is a fourrée aureus, a gold-gilt coin from the Roman Empire during the reign of Antoninus Pius. The aureus was traditionally made of pure gold. The term “fourrée,” derived from French, refers to the technique of coating an object with a layer of precious metal, meaning “filled” or “stuffed.” The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus) mentioned in his Naturalis Historia the technique of using amalgams to gild objects with precious metals. Pliny also noted that Marc Antonius and Julius Caesar diluted silver coins with copper and iron to increase the quantity of currency. However, there is no historical evidence to confirm whether Antoninus Pius officially issued gilded coins as legitimate currency. Given that the value of coinage was closely tied to imperial authority and political stability, official counterfeit coins were exceedingly rare. This fourrée aureus may have been illicitly produced by private goldsmiths or unauthorised operations within official mints.
The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Antoninus Pius, crowned with a laurel wreath and facing right. Although the details are heavily worn and difficult to discern, similar coins from the same period suggest that the surrounding inscription likely read the Latin abbreviation “ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P,” signifying “Antoninus Augustus Pius, Father of the Nation.”
The reverse depicts two clasped hands, symbolising friendship and unity. The hands hold a caduceus (staff of Hermes), topped with two entwined snakes, a symbol of commerce and negotiation. Flanking the caduceus are parallel projections, traditionally interpreted in Roman iconography as either wheat stalks or cornucopiae, both representing wealth and abundance. The staff’s tip bears additional features: three projections on each side and two elongated extensions on the lower right. These projections were likely part of the Latin inscription TR P COS II, abbreviated for “Tribunicia Potestate Consul II (Secundum),” meaning “Holder of Tribunician Power, Second Consulship.” Tribune originated in the Roman Republic as a safeguard for plebeian interests against the Senate. Following Julius Caesar and Augustus, the title was customarily granted to Roman emperors as part of their formal titulature, second only to imperator (commander).
Antoninus Pius, who reigned from AD 138 to 161, was one of the “Five Good Emperors” who presided over the final phase of the Pax Romana (Roman Peace). His reign is characterised by its emphasis on peace and stability. He invested in infrastructure, fortified the empire’s borders, and reformed legal and administrative systems. Antoninus also supported religious and cultural activities, fostering prosperity and stability within the empire. The honorific Pius was bestowed by the Senate, possibly in recognition of the clemency, pardons, and acts of mercy he demonstrated upon ascending the throne. Antoninus Pius passed away in AD 161, leaving the empire to be jointly ruled by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Following the death of Marcus Aurelius in AD 180, his son Commodus assumed the throne, ushering in a period of turmoil that eventually led to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
金幣的正面是安東尼·庇護的肖像,頭戴桂冠,面朝右。因磨損嚴重而難以辨別,但參照模具圖樣結構最為類似的其他同時期錢幣,周圍環繞的文字可能是拉丁縮寫「ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P」,即「Antoninus Augustus Pius Pater Patriae」,意為「安東尼·庇護,皇帝與國家之父」。
金幣的背面則是交握的兩隻手,表示友誼與團結。兩隻一同握著赫密士之杖(caduceus of Hermes),雙蛇纏繞在杖頂,是商業與談判的象徵。赫密士之杖的兩側的平行突起,按羅馬傳統應是麥穗或豐裕之角(cornucopia),兩者皆是財富與豐饒的象徵。杖尖左右兩側各有三個突起,而右下有兩個較為細長的突起,原先應為拉丁縮寫「TR P COS II」,即「Tribunicia Potestate Consul II (Secundum)」,意為「護民官權力持有者,第二次執政」。護民官是源自羅馬共和時期的政治傳統,自平民中選出以抵抗元老院的影響。在凱薩與奧古斯都之後,護民官通常會被授予每一任羅馬皇帝,作為其正式頭銜的一部分,僅次於「皇帝/統帥(imperator)」。