A gold Roman aureus coin issued under the reign of the emperor Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-169) will sell at Heritage Auctions.
The two men had been adopted by the late emperor Hadrian from different families and were raised together. When he died they were adopted by Hadrian's successor, Pius Antonius.
 Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius were the first Roman emperors to rule together |
Hadrian had intended for the brothers to rule together.
While Aurelius was the one groomed for power, and probably could have ruled alone, he insisted on honouring Hadrian's stipulation.
Unusually for the Romans, neither brother assassinated the other on their accession.
Each was very different - Aurelius was sober and serious while Verus was charismatic and gregarious.
This actually proved a boon for the empire as each took on the tasks for which he was best suited.
The coin shows a bust of Lucius Verus on the obverse, while the reverse depicts the two brothers shaking hands.
It bears the words: "Harmony of our emperors."
The coin is graded NGC Gem and is described by the auction house as "nothing short of perfection".
It's valued at $30,000-40,000 ahead of the September 8-13 Long Beach Expo sale.
Other lots featured include a rare early ingot from a Spanish gold ship that sank off the coast of Mexico in 1550.
It's valued at $35,000-40,000.
We have our own selection of rare coins for sale.
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