Antoninus Pius. AD 138-161. AV Aureus (20mm, 7.15 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 147. ANTONINVS AVG PI VS P P TR P COS IIII, laureate head right / LIB IIII in exergue, Antoninus Pius, togate, seated left on curule chair on platform, extending right hand and holding volumen in left; to left, Liberalitas standing left, holding abacus in right hand and cornucopia in left; on ground to left, citizen, togate, standing right, holding out fold of toga with both hands to receive distribution. RIC III 141c; Strack 149δ; Calicó 1571; BMCRE 546 note; Biaggi 739 var. (bust type); Jameson 115 var. (break in obv. legend); Mazzini 496 var. (bust type). Toned with underlying luster. EF.
Ex Arthur Bally-Herzog Collection (Münzen und Medaillen AG 93, 16 December 2003), lot 170, purchased from Spink & Son, 3 March 1905 (for 200 francs); A. Bain Collection (Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 7 November 1901), lot 33.
The scene in which the emperor makes liberal distributions to citizens is known as a congiarium. This distribution can be thought of as an ancient version of the modern "stimulus check," as recently offered by the U.S. government in the form of pandemic relief.