Obolos 44

Divus Antoninus Pius, died 161. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 32.5 mm, 25.24 g, 12 h), struck under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, Rome, after 161. DIVVS ANTONINVS bare head of Antoninus Pius to right. Rev. CONSECRATIO / S - C decorated funeral pyre of four tiers, surmounted by a quadriga. Banti 75. BMC 876. Cohen 165. RIC 1266. Some peripheral roughness, otherwise, about very fine.

From the collection of Ernst Lejeune (†1944), Busso Peus 269, 26 November 1968, 231.

Emil Ernst Alfred Lejeune (1870-1944) was one of the top German numismatists of the early 20th century. A native of Frankfurt am Main, he founded the Frankfurt Numismatic Society (Frankfurter Numismatische Gesellschaft) together with Sally Rosenberg in 1906, and served as chariman for over 20 years. While his collection encompassed both ancient and German coins, much of the German coins were acquried by the Historical Museum of Frankfurt in 1939. He also sold portions of his ancient coin collection anonymously through Rosenberg. Following his death in 1944, Busso Peus acquired his estate, which was distributed among four auctions between 1950 and 1968.