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AR23 - Marcus Aurelius L Ζ
| Issuer | Alexandria (Egypt) |
|---|---|
| Year | 166-167 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | A large, finely rendered laurel wreath occupying the full reverse field, tied at the base with a ribbon. Within the wreath, the regnal year date is inscribed in two characters centrally placed: the Egyptian year symbol L followed by the Greek numeral Ζ (seven), indicating Year 7 of Marcus Aurelius's reign. The wreath is composed of densely arranged leaves spreading symmetrically from the tie-point, characteristic of Alexandrian tetradrachm reverses of this period. No additional legend or exergual mark is present. |
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| Reverse lettering | L Ζ |
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| Additional information |
Year seven of Marcus Aurelius's reign coincided with the final stages of the Parthian War, which ended in Roman victory but brought catastrophic consequence: returning troops carried the Antonine Plague westward, killing an estimated five million people across the empire. Egypt, a closed monetary system requiring travelers to exchange foreign coin at the border, was not spared. Alexandrian tetradrachm production continued through the outbreak, but the billon alloy had been quietly debased across preceding decades — by this point silver content was a fraction of what Ptolemaic issues once carried.