Marcus Aurelius augustus, 161 – 171. Aureus 161, AV 7.26 g. IMP CAES M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG Bare-headed and cuirassed bust r. Rev. CONCORDIAE AVGVSTOR TR P XV M. Aurelius and L. Verus standing facing each other with clasped hands; the one on the l. holds roll; in exergue, COS III. C 71. BMC 7 note. RIC 9. Calicó 1823 (this obverse die). Rare and in exceptional condition for the issue, among the finest specimens known. Perefctly struck and centred in high relief on a full flan. Virtually as struck and almost Fdc Provenance Dukes of Saxony-Gotha Collection, probably acquired by Duke Frederick II (1676-1732), sold by Hess, auction [240], Lucerne, 9 May 1951, lot 164. Sold by Dr. Busso Peus Nachf., Francfort, auction 353, 29 October 1997, lot 474. Sold by Classical Numismatic Group, Lancaster, the classical numismatic review 23, September 1998, lot 74. Privately sold by Glenn W. Woods in April 2008. Many coins in the Gotha collection had been acquired en-bloc for 90 000 Thalers by Duke Frederick II (1676-1732), from the collection of Count Anton Günther II of Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen-Arnstadt (1653-1716), a collection built with the help of the Swiss numismatists Andrea Morell (1646-1705) from 1693 onwards. ”While there is still a magnificent collection of coins in Gotha, a considerable part of the collection was taken west by the ducal family just prior to the end of World War II. Many of the more valuable pieces were then sold during the 1950s, including a large portion of Roman gold that appeared in the 1951 Hess sale” (Alan Walker in Nomos 2015). In addition to this auction (Hess, Lucerne, auction [240], 9 May 1951), other coins were apparently also sold in Hess, auction 252, 24 May 1982. And Hess appears to have sold even more coins privately, such as a Lokris Opuntii stater, Nomos A.G., auction 14, 17 May 2017, lot 111, privately acquired by Dr. W.F. Stöcklin (1888-1975) from Dr. Rosenberg at Hess A.G. in the 1950s.