With a pedigree stretching back to the 1930 Ars Classica sale of the Woodward collection, this well-preserved sestertius of Lucius Verus is quite a pleasing specimen. It is perhaps fitting that Verus chose to depict a vigorous personification of the war god Mars on the reverse of this coin type. For he was at war for most of his reign. Several months after donning the purple, Verus found himself at war with Parthia when Vologases IV invaded Armenia, killed the local Roman backed king, and enthroned his own puppet ruler name Pacorus. 

Despite his lack of military experience Verus traveled east, after a series of early setbacks in 161-162 AD, to take personal command. Afterwards, the roman forces conducted a relatively successful campaign and succeed in occupying the entire territory, creating a new capital city aptly if not imaginatively named Kaine Polis ("New City"), and installing a roman senator as king. However, not only did they need to pull troops from the northern boarders, the returning troops brought back the plague.

This depletion of manpower on the northern border in 166 facilitated the Macromannic Wars, which would rage long after Lucius Verus's death until 180 AD.

Being a sestertius, this coin would undoubtedly be seen by a large portion of the plebeian population and served as an effective piece of propaganda. The message being: I Lucius Verus, Emperor of Rome, am blessed by Mars god of war. A potent message, especially during a foreign war.