AN ANTONINUS PIUS (138-161 AD) “BRITANNIA” AS of 145 AD.

A VERY RARE AND MUCH SOUGHT AFTER “BRITANNIA” REVERSE AS of 145 AD. (COS IIII). S.C.

AVF for issue and FULL FLAN & FULL LEGEND.

Britannia seated left on rocks with oval shield & spear.

Most of the examples of this issue are seen struck on small undersized planchettes with the effect that much of the legend was lost on the peripherals.

This exceptionally “full” coin which shows FULL legends on both obverse and reverse was struck just three years after work started on the Antonine Wall in Scotland in 142 AD. This “BRITANNIA” reverse issue is greatly sought after by collectors and students of Romano-British history as it’s one of the first examples of the personification of Britannia appearing on the British coinage.

[BRITANNIA SHOWN HERE ON A 1797 2d]
The use of this reverse started with the coinage of Hadrian in about 120 AD and continued as a common reverse type on the English copper & bronze coinage until the final issue of Elizabeth II bronze pennies in 1967, a period of 1,847 years which is a record for any symbol or design on any coinage.


RARE.
AVF & better for issue.

£595