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Æ19 - Marcus Aurelius C I F S
| Issuer | Sinope (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 161-180 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A winged caduceus depicted upright in the central field, with two intertwined serpents ascending the staff and wings spread at the apex — a symbol associated with Mercury and frequently employed on colonial Roman provincial bronzes as an emblem of commerce and divine protection. The colonial abbreviation C I F S appears distributed around the caduceus in the field. The reverse type is bold and well-centered despite the coin's irregular flan and worn surfaces. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Sinope's status as a Roman colony — formally established under Julius Caesar in 45 BC — gave it the right to strike its own civic bronze, a privilege it exercised well into the Antonine period. Under Marcus Aurelius, the city remained one of the Black Sea's principal ports and a key node in the grain trade running north from Anatolia.
The colonial abbreviation C I F S — Colonia Iulia Felix Sinope — appears on issues throughout the imperial period, preserving Caesar's original foundation title across more than two centuries of coinage.