Antonia’s position in the Julio-Claudian family gave her a remarkable proximity to nearly all the key figures of the early first century AD. Born in Athens in 36 BC, Antonia was the daughter of Mark Antony and Octavia. As her father died in civil war when she was very young, she was raised in Rome by her mother and by her aunt, the first empress Livia Drusilla, who was an important influence as a powerful matriarch of the dynasty. At the age of twenty she married Drusus, the brother of the future emperor Tiberius, and with him had three children, including the famed general Germanicus and the emperor Claudius. Through Germanicus, she became the grandmother of emperor Caligula and great-grandmother of Nero.
 
At least among some historians, she had a reputation for being harsh with rivals, including her own children. After her daughter Livilla was accused of conspiring with Sejanus to kill the emperor, Cassius Dio reports that Antonia locked her daughter in a room until she starved to death. Sejanus was later executed on Tiberius’ orders, much to Antonia’s satisfaction. Roman historians Dio and Suetonius report that her disgust with the excess of her grandson Caligula’s rule drove her to suicide in 38. What would make that remarkable is that Caligula’s profanities and true insanity were not yet on full display by 38, only one year into his reign. Nevertheless, his conduct clearly did not meet Antonia’s high standards. Neither did Caligula’s successor, her son Claudius; she reportedly disapproved of her son his whole life for his meek temperament and speech issues. Had she lived to see his reign, however, Antonia probably would have been impressed at Claudius’ successes.
 
An Antonia Minor aureus (pictured below) was one of the most stunning Roman coins I’ve had the pleasure to own. I purchased the piece in Spain and later sold it at auction. It boasts superb style and complemented by perfect centering and radiant original luster.

Miller Ancients’ Antonia aureus, which graded Choice VF at NGC.