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AR23 - Marcus Aurelius L Β
| Issuer | Alexandria (Egypt) |
|---|---|
| Year | 161-162 |
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| Reference(s) | Köln 536; Milne 1434; Emmett 1345.2 |
| Obverse description | Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Lucius Verus facing right, with the paludamentum visible at the shoulder. The portrait is rendered in the characteristic Alexandrian provincial style, with the legend Λ ΑΥΡΗΛΙΟϹ ΟΥΗΡΟϹ ϹΕ disposed around the field. The effigy presents the emperor in his military aspect, consistent with co-imperial tetradrachm portraiture of the early joint reign. |
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| Obverse lettering | Λ ΑΥΡΗΛΙΟϹ ΟΥΗΡΟϹ ϹΕ |
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| Additional information |
This tetradrachm dates to the very first year of Marcus Aurelius's sole reign — or more precisely, the second regnal year by Alexandrian reckoning, which began its count from the co-accession with Lucius Verus in 161 AD. The two emperors nominally ruled together, though Marcus held clear philosophical and administrative authority from the outset. Alexandria's imperial coinage was a closed currency system; tetradrachms like this could not legally circulate outside Egypt, functioning instead as a provincial fiduciary issue exchanged at the city's banks upon entry.