More than money, coins are symbols of the state that struck them. Currency represents a specific time and place, whether products of the age we live in today or an artifact of a long forgotten empire. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the Emperor of Rome from 161 until his death in 180 A.D. Born Marcus Annius Verus, he was adopted by the emperor Antoninus Pius in 138, and married his daughter Annia Galeria Faustina a few years later. He succeeded to the throne without difficulty on Antoninus' death. Marcus Aurelius was educated by the best tutors in Rome and was a devotee of Stoicism. However, he felt with more religious fervor the communion of man in the unity of the universe than most other Stoics. In his later years, he wrote the Meditations as a relief from his lonely office, in which he attempts to reconcile his Stoic philosophy of virtue and self-sacrifice with his role as emperor.

The glories of antiquity shine again with renewed brilliance and luster. Marcus Aurelius is one of the most recognizable Roman Emperor, famed for his equestrian statue still standing on the Capitoline Hill in Rome today. When wearing this gorgeous ring, the past literally comes alive. This ancient coin is not a relic of the past displayed behind glass in a museum; but set in this stunning gold ring, it becomes a stunning centerpiece appreciated for its age as much as its beauty and superior craftsmanship.