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Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 25.12 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck AD 143. Laureate and draped bust right / REX QVADIS DATVS, S C in exergue, Pius standing left, togate, presenting a diadem to the king of the Quadi standing right. RIC III 620; Banti 324. Dark brown patina, earthen highlights, minor cleaning scratches. Near VF. Very Rare.
The Quadi were a Germanic tribe situated in modern Moravia, western Slovakia. Tacitus refers to them in his Germania as a warlike people akin to the Marcomanni, who like them were governed by kings “descended from the noble line of Maroboduus and Tudrus.” Both tribes fought against, and were defeated by, the future emperor Tiberius circa 6 AD, although a revolt in Illyricum prevented the Romans from attempting to occupy or annex their lands. Tacitus, in his Annals relates a series of kings of both tribes who were raised up and rapidly deposed during the reign of Tiberius after about AD 18; the last of these kings was a Quadian named Vannius, who reigned until circa AD 50. The Marcomanni agreed to a treaty by which future kings would be appointed by Rome, but the only evidence we have that the Quadi agreed to a similar arrangement is this rare coin type of Antoninus Pius, struck in AD 143, which depicts the emperor crowning the Quadian king, along with the legend REX QVADIS DATVS (”a king given to the Quadi”). Three decades later, the Quadi would join the Marcomanni is making war on the Romans, even invading Italy and placing Aquileia under siege. The vicious, protracted conflict occupied much of Marcus Aurelius’ reign. One of the books of his Meditations was written “Among the Quadi.” Though Marcus ultimately pushed them back across the frontier, the Quadi remained a thorn in the Roman side until the fifth century AD.
The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 123 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 23-24 May 2023. This lot is in Session Three, which will begin 24 May 2023 at 9 AM ET.
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