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Æ17 - Marcus Aurelius ΑΜΑϹΤΡΙΑΝΩΝ
| Issuer | Amastris (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 161-169 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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| Obverse description | Bare head of Lucius Verus facing right, rendered in typical Antonine provincial style with a slightly idealized portrait. The legend is partially preserved around the periphery, reading ΚΑΙ ΛΟΥΚΙϹ(sic) ΟΥ, representing a corrupt or abbreviated form of the imperial titulature. The coin exhibits an irregular flan with a dotted border visible in parts. Surface shows heavy green and brown patination consistent with long burial. The portrait, though worn, retains characteristic features of Lucius Verus including short curled hair and a smooth, unbearded jaw. |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
Amastris was founded as a synoikism — a forced merger of four smaller settlements — by the Pontic princess Amastris around 300 BC, and the city clung to that founding identity through centuries of Roman administration. Under Marcus Aurelius, the city's bronze coinage served strictly local exchange; Rome's currency reforms had no practical reach into small Pontic markets at this scale. The years 161–169 bracket the devastating Antonine Plague, which Galen tracked westward from the eastern provinces through exactly this region.