This coin can be identified as a rare issue of Marcus Aurelius, who ruled for a period of almost twenty years in the mid-late 2nd century (AD 161-180).

Marcus Aurelius was one of a run of consistently successful rulers under whom the Roman Empire achieved its greatest heights on the territorial, economic and cultural levels. This is a rare sestertius (large denomination copper alloy coin), commemorating Aurelius’ victory in the First Marcommanic War of c. 167-175.

In that protracted conflict, he defeated a confederation of Germanic tribes in campaigns across the Danube. The obverse (heads) depicts his portrait facing right wearing a laurel wreath, while on the reverse (tails) a trophy of weaponry and associated military paraphernalia is visible, including shields, spears, armour and a type of boar-headed war trumpet known as a carnyx. This is accompanied by the inscription DE SARMATIS (of the Sarmatians).