Æ32 - Marcus Aurelius L Ϛ

Year 6 of Marcus Aurelius's reign coincided with the return of Lucius Verus's armies from the Parthian War — and with them, the Antonine Plague, which tore through Egypt with particular devastation. Alexandrian bronze production in this period reflects the administrative strain: die alignment and flan preparation became markedly inconsistent, and many surviving pieces show the hurried output of a mint managing disrupted supply chains alongside a population in crisis.