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Denarius - Mark Antony M•ANTONIVS•AVG•IMP•IIII•COS•TERT•III•VIR•R•P•C
| Issuer | Roman Republic (509 BC - 27 BC) |
|---|---|
| Year | 31 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed and draped bust of Marcus Antonius facing right, rendered in the robust, somewhat coarse style characteristic of the late Republican military mint. The portrait displays strongly modelled facial features with a prominent jaw and furrowed brow, the hair rendered in short, layered locks. The encircling legend M·ANTONIVS·AVG·IMP·IIII·COS·TERT·III·VIR·R·P·C runs in full around the periphery, separated by interpuncts, within a border of dots. |
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| Obverse lettering | M·ANTONIVS·AVG·IMP·IIII·COS·TERT·III·VIR·R·P·C |
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These legionary denarii were struck in enormous quantities — likely in the millions — at a mobile military mint traveling with Antony's forces in the lead-up to Actium. Each issue named a specific legion, functioning as pay tokens for individual units rather than general-circulation coinage. The silver content was noticeably debased compared to contemporary Augustan issues, a fact ancient sources used to undermine Antony's credibility.
The type survived in circulation for well over a century after Actium, long enough that Nero's own debasements brought official silver down to roughly the same fineness Antony had used. Worn examples turn up frequently; the series is common precisely because the original striking volume was staggering.