OTD: 63 BCE Augustus, the final straw to break the republics back, is born. Post yours!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ryro, Sep 23, 2021.

  1. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    2083 years ago a sickly, wimpy kid is born at exactly the right time and to the right family to be the final death nail to the Roman Republic.
    So vein or savvy his coins show the same image of him his entire life, perpetually looking 25.
    Statue-Augustus.jpg

    Coming up on his own, epic victories and savvy politicking there's no debate he was as self made as well, oh wait, he wasn't. At all.
    It's very debatable whether he did much on his own.
    Marc Antony famously said, "A boy that owes everything to a name." Which is undeniably a true statement.
    Then there's the fact that he was sick just about every time battles broke out. We all know Agrippa took care of all the fighting for him.
    actium.gif
    (One of Agrippa's greatest victories celebrated as that of Octavian)
    The stretch would be that Livia was the real political genius in the marriage... though, with how she menuvered herself from a relationship with a nobody to Augustus, while pregnant with another man's child, to getting her wiener of a son to be the heir to the empire and possibly even being behind his banishing his only daughter to a small island the rest of her life. Maybe the Livia being the brains theory does hold water.
    All that said, at the age of twenty, when he was told that Julius Caesar had named him as heir in the Great generals will, his mother and father begged him to pass on the honor as it was far too risky and perilous. They wanted him to stay out of the limelight and fighting. The young man refused his parents request and made an incredibly bold move that would change the world.

    Here's some of mine:
    share237564393831303174.png
    Augustus
    SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch. 27 BC-AD 14. Æ As 24mm,. Struck circa 27-25 BC. Bare head right / AVGVSTVS within laurel wreath. McAlee 190; RPC I 4100. Good VF
    Former: fortunancient

    IMG_0296(1)(1).PNG
    Augustus with Divus Julius Caesar
    (27 BC-14 AD) MACEDON. Thessalonica. Obv: ΘEOΣ.
    Wreathed head of Julius Caesar right; uncertain c/m on neck.
    Rev: ΘEΣΣAΛONIKEΩN.
    Bare head of Augustus right; Δ below. RPC I 1554.
    Fine. 12.3 g.21 mm.
    Former: Numismatik Naumann

    share83915491600704803.png
    Augustus
    Ae Diobol,
    24 MM 8.65 GR
    AE Diobol Year 41 = 11/12 AD, Egypt, City of Alexandria. Head R. Rs. LMA in the oak wreath. L.

    1566935_1606945091.l-removebg-preview.png
    Augustus
    Æ21 of Pergamon, Mysia. 27 BC-AD 14. M. Plautius Silvanus, proconsul, and Demophon. SIΛBANON ΠEPΓAMHNOI, the proconsul M. Plautius Silvanus standing left, holding patera, being crowned by uncertain male figure / Tetrastyle temple of Augustus; ΣEBAΣTON above, ΔHMOΦΩN below. RPC 2364; BMC 245. 4.93g, 20mm, 2h.
    Very Fine. Ex: Savoca blue

    1825382_1618171287.l-removebg-preview.png
    Augustus, 27 BC-AD 14. Denarius (Silver, 20mm, 3.58 g), Lugdunum, 2 BC-AD 12. CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE Laureate head of Augustus to right. Rev. AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT / C L CAESARES Gaius and Lucius Caesar, on left and right, standing facing, each togate and resting a hand on one of two shields set on the ground between them; behind the shields, two crossed spears; above, on left, simpulum right, and on right, lituus left. BMC 519-533. BN 1651-1657. Cohen 43. Lyon 82. RIC 207. VF


    share8565333223178835145.png
    Augustus, with Agrippa. GAUL, Nemausus. 27 BC - 14 AD. Æ As (26 MM, 10.71 g, 12h). Struck circa 16-10 AD. Back to back heads of Agrippa, left, wearing combined rostral crown and laurel wreath, and Augustus, right, bare; c/m: D D with palm branch between the letters, all within dotted circle / Crocodile chained to palm branch, wreath tied to palm. RPC I 523; SNG Copenhagen 698 (with c/m); RIC I 155; for c/m: Martini, Locarno 10. VF, dark green patina.

    share4398756006863823876.png
    Rhoemetalces and Augustus
    (11 BC-12 CE). Thrace. Æ (19mm, 5.89g, 3h). Diademed head of Rhoemetalces r. R/ Bare head of Augustus r. RPC I 1714. Green patina, Good VF

    220px-Augustus_Bevilacqua_Glyptothek_Munich_317.jpg

    Please post your coins of Augy, your thoughts on his rise and the demise of the Republic or anything so densely painted in propaganda that there's no way to really know the truth.
     
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  3. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    [​IMG]
    Augustus (27 BC-14 AD)
    AR Tetradrachm
    Syria-Antiochia ad Orontem
    O: KAIΣAPOΣ ΣEB_AΣTOY, Laureate head right
    R: ETOYΣ-ZK-NIKHΣ, Tyche seated right on rocks, palm branch in left hand, river god Orontes swimming right below, YPA monogram, IB / ANT monogram in right field Regnal Year 27 (5/4 BC), COS 12.
    27mm
    14.06g
    Prieur 51; RPC 4152; McAlee 181
    Ex David Hendin, 2004

    Note: The ZK breaking the reverse legend is the regnal year 27, IB is for consulship 12. Minted in what is possibly the year of the birth of Jesus Christ.

    [​IMG]
    Tiberius (14 - 34 A.D.)
    Billon Tetradrachm
    EGYPT, Alexandria
    O: [TI]BERIOS KAISAR SEBASTOS, laureate head of Tiberius right; LID (date) in right field.
    R: QEOS SEBASTOS, radiate head of Augustus left.
    EGYPT, Alexandria Mint, year 14=27/28 A.D.
    13.43g
    23mm
    RPC I 5090; Milne 54; Emmett 61.
     
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  4. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

  5. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Augustus AE As, Cn Piso, moneyer

    augustus1.jpg

    augustus2.jpg
     
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  6. Campbell Miller

    Campbell Miller Well-Known Member

    My only coin of Augustus, a denarius from an unknown mint in Spain.
    [​IMG]
     
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  7. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

  8. Curtisimo

    Curtisimo the Great(ish)

    Fun thread and great coins @Ryro .

    Here is Augustus with his right hand man Agrippa.
    50831EC7-CC8B-44B2-90F6-CAA06A4D56AA.jpeg
    Roman Empire
    Augustus & Agrippa
    AE Dupondius, Nemausus mint, struck ca. 10 BC - 10 AD
    Dia.: 26 mm
    Wt.: 12.3 g
    Obv.: IMP: Augustus, laureate bust right; Agrippa, bust left wearing rostral crown
    Rev.: COL - NEM: Crocodile chained to palm tree
    Ref.: RIC 158
    Ex JAZ Numismatics


    Here is another statue in the National Museum in Rome with Augustus looking perpetually young.
    D9CF50B9-54C4-42C2-BA03-49A7E24FD0EF.jpeg
     
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  9. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

  10. ValiantKnight

    ValiantKnight Well-Known Member

    Augustus, Roman Empire
    AR denarius
    Obv: CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE, laureate head right.
    Rev: C L CAESARES AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT, Gaius and Lucius Caesars standing facing, shields and spears between them; simpulum and lituus above; X below.
    Mint: Lugdunum
    Ref: RIC I 212; Lyon 86; RSC 43d.

    [​IMG]
     
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  11. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    I sold all my coins of Augustus :(, but I was fortunate to be the custodian of this handsome Tet from Antioch-Syria for a long time :happy:.

    Augustus, Antioch-Syria.jpg
     
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  12. ambr0zie

    ambr0zie Dacian Taraboste

    Very nice coins. I particularly like the Nemausus coin with the crocodile, I have been trying to get one since I started collecting. Probably one of the 2022 goals, as I intend to stop any purchases this year (or at least I say so...)

    My Augustus coins:
    First one - I was extremely happy for getting this, although the overall state of the coin is not excellent, the portrait is fine and I love the shape of it.
    upload_2021-9-23_20-47-9.png
    Seleucis and Pieria, Syria, Antioch
    4-5 AD
    AVGVST·TR·POT, laureate head of Augustus, r., ΕΛ in monogram under the head/S C, inscription in a laurel wreath of eight leaves
    27 mm 8.76 g
    RPC I, 4261, AMC 745, McAlee 209b

    upload_2021-9-23_20-49-26.png

    Thrace, unknown mint
    11-12 AD
    ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΡΟΙΜΗΤΑΛΚΟΥ, jugate heads of Rhoemetalces, diademed, and his queen Pythodoris, r. / ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΥ, head of Augustus, r.
    23 mm 8.70 g
    RPC I, 1711, Youroukova 204–8, pl. XXIV



    A decent enough imperial pair

    upload_2021-9-23_20-52-8.png

    Rome, 7 BC
    CAESAR AVGVST PONT MAX TRIBVNIC POT, head of Augustus, bare, right/ P LVRIVS AGRIPPA IIIVIR A A A F F. Legend surrounding S C
    26.5 mm 6 g
    RIC I (second edition) Augustus 427


    upload_2021-9-23_20-55-11.png

    Rome, 7 BC
    CAESAR AVGVST PONT MAX TRIBVNIC POT, head of Augustus, bare, right / M SALVIVS OTHO IIIVIR A A A F F, legend surrounding S C
    (countermarked)
    RIC I (second edition) Augustus 431


    I like this one the most
    upload_2021-9-23_20-56-45.png

    Mysia, Kyzikos
    17 mm, 3.24 g
    Bare head of Augustus, r. / ϹƐΒΑϹΤΟϹ, capricorn, l., with head turned back; monogram including ΖΚ
    RPC I, 2245, F.W. Hasluck, NC 1906, 27, no. 3, AMC 1183
     
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  13. Scipio

    Scipio Well-Known Member

    I only collect coins in which Augy is still Caesar Divi Filius; fascinating age, and his story really seems showing the gods were protecting him!

    E26E903C-3A8D-4CF8-A654-92F5E1D0AA7C.jpeg D6F1C019-4E17-45DB-82F9-423D4C6ACEA6.jpeg D609ADE8-01F3-468B-B546-B11A027CFF88.jpeg 789ADA00-3144-4EA3-9C9E-0D9C80F97C13.jpeg
     
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  14. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    ..all hail Augustus!:joyful: IMG_0681.JPG IMG_0682.JPG
     
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  15. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Since we are on the topic of Augustus I'd like to share a link:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Res_Gestae_Divi_Augusti

    The above in an interesting inscription which Augustus placed throughout the empire listing his accomplishments and how he benefited the Roman people. I had a professor at Berkeley, Erich Gruen, who is one of the experts on this source, and the late Republic in general.
     
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  16. cmezner

    cmezner do ut des Supporter

    had already written some lines about Augustus in @DonnaML's thread about her first coin of Octavian.

    Will copy some of it here because it is his birthday:
    His original name was Gaius Octavius. After Caesar’s death and having adopted and named his great-nephew Octavius his heir in his testament of September 45 BC, the young Octavius takes the name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus and in the year 27 BC and by motion of the senate he is called Imperator Caesar Augustus, were it is to be noted that Imperator is placed first and as such became prenomen.

    Gaius Octavius was born under Cicero’s consulate on September 23, 63 BC. His birth house in the palatine district, not far from the Via Sacra, had the name “ad capita bubula” at the bull heads. After Augustus’ death the house was declared a sanctuary and, on its spot, stood later the church San Bonaventura.

    About Octavius childhood little is known. His father had been governor of Macedonia for two years before his death when Octavius was 4 years old, making it very unlikely that he had any memories of his father. Octavius was raised by his mother Atia and his grandmother Julia. Atia remarried a man of nobility, Lucius Marcius Philippus, who took good care of the education of his stepson.

    In the fall of 45 BC Julius Caesar created a new group of patricians (Lex Cassia) and Octavius became a member of the Patricians. Shortly thereafter, Caesar sent his great nephew to Apollonia (today Valona, Albania) were he should be acquainted with military tasks and be prepared for future command. At the same time, he studied Greek and Rhetoric with Apollodarus in Pergamum, Mathematics with Theogenes. His companions in military education were Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Quintus Salvidienus Rufus. Salvidienus, his military mentor, was a bit older than Octavius and initially devoted to him. Even though Salvidienus was a candidate for consul in 39 BC, during the Perusine War he took sides with Octavius enemies. Salvidienus appears on coins probably from 41/40 BC (Cohen 514) with the legend IMP(erator) COS DESG (i.e. Consul Designatus). On the other hand, Agrippa was his trusted friend throughout life.

    A Semis I like very much:
    Cartago Nova, Tarraconensis, 4 BC, 15th emission, issued by Marcus Postumius Albinus and Lucius Porcius Capito(linus?) as duumviri quinquennales

    21 x 23 mm, 5.892 g
    RPC1 171/15; SNG Copenhagen 496
    Ob.: AVGVSTVS DIVI F laureate head of Augustus r.
    Rev.: M•POSTVM•ALBIN•L•PORC•CAPIT•π•VIR• Q, Priest standing facing holding simpulum and olive branch

    upload_2021-9-23_14-3-7.png upload_2021-9-23_14-3-27.png
     
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  17. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio Supporter

    My favorite Octavian is a tiny twofer.
    a 019.JPG
    a 020.JPG
     
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  18. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    But no right hand any more :D

    Forever young ?

    [​IMG]
    Lyon mint c.12 BC
    AUGUSTUS DIVI F, Bare head of Augustus right
    IMP X, Bull butting right
    3.77 gr
    Ref : RCV #1610, Cohen #137


    Q
     
  19. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Wonderful coins, everyone! I'm afraid I have only a handful, even if I include my new Octavian!

    The Triumvirs, Octavian, AR Denarius, Autumn 30-Summer 29 BC, Italian (Rome?) Mint. Obv. Bare head right, anepigraphic / Rev. Octavian’s Actian arch (arcus Octaviani), showing a single span surmounted by statute of Octavian in facing triumphal quadriga; IMP • CAESAR on the architrave. CRI 422 (ill. p. 257) [D. Sear, The History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators 49-27 BC (1998)]; RIC I 267 (Augustus); RSC 123 (Augustus); Sear RCV I 1558, BMCRR 4348 (= BMCRE 624). Toned, scratches, some scrapes, and banker's marks. Fine. 21mm, 3.25 g, 3 h. From the Lampasas Collection. Ex. Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 487, Lot 474 (10 March 2021); ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 390, Lot 456 (1 February 2017). [Footnote omitted.]
    version 2 Combined Octavian from group photos.jpg

    Augustus AR Denarius, 19 BCE, Colonia Patricia [Cordoba] Mint. Obv. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head right / Rev: SIGNIS RECEPTIS and SP QR, above and below; aquila (left) & standard (right) flanking shield incribed CL V. RIC I 86, RSC I 265, Sear RCV I 1633. 18mm, 3.8 g. [The Senate awarded Augustus the 'shield of valour' (clipeus virtutis) for recovering the standards lost to the Parthians by Crassus.]

    Augustus denarius - shield reverse (Colonia Patricia).jpg

    Rhoemetalces and Augustus, AE 22 mm., 11 BCE-12 AD, Thrace. Obv. Jugate heads of King Rhoemetalces and his queen Pythodoris right, ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΡΟΙΜΗΤΑΛΚΟΥ / Rev. bare head of Augustus right, ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΥ. ); RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. I 1711 (1992); RPC I Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/1711 ; Sear GIC Thrace 5396 [D. Sear, Greek Imperial Coins and their Values (Seaby 1982)]; BMC 3 Thrace 4-6 [Poole, R.S., ed. A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, The Tauric Chersonese, Sarmatia, Dacia, Moesia, Thrace, etc., Vol. 3 (London, 1877)]. 22 mm., 8.93 g., 7 h. Ex. London Ancient Coins.

    new version Thrace Augustus - Rhoemetalces & wife jpg version from London Ancient Coins.jpg

    Augustus AE (Brass) Dupondius, 9-3 BCE, Colonia Augusta Nemausus [Nîmes] (Gallia Narbonensis province) Mint. Obv. Heads of Agrippa left and Augustus right, back to back, with Agrippa wearing combined laurel wreath and rostral crown, and Augustus wearing oak wreath, IMP above heads and DIVI F below [Imperator Divi Filius] / Rev. Crocodile right standing on two palm branches, chained to palm-shoot standing behind it, with tip of shoot leaning to right; wreath above and to left of palm-shoot, with long ties extending behind shoot to right, COL - NEM to left and right of palm-shoot. “Type III” of Augustus & Agrippa/Crocodile coin (see https://multicollec.net/1-mo-h/1h04). RIC I 158 (p. 52), RPC I 524 (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/search/browse?volume_id=1&number=524), Sear Greek Imperial Coins 157 (D. Sear, Greek Imperial Coins and their Values (1982)], Sear RCV I 1730 (ill.). [See Sear RCV I at p. 337: Commemorates conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE; influenced by Augustus’s settlement of veterans of Egyptian campaign in Nemausus after colony was founded in 27 BCE.] 28 mm., 12.09 g.

    COMBINED Augustus & Agrippa - crocodile - COL NEM dupondius.jpg

    Augustus AR Denarius, 2 BCE- 4 AD Lugdunum [Lyons] Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE/ Rev. Gaius & Lucius standing front, each with a hand resting on a round shield, a spear, & in field above, a lituus [curved augural staff] right & simpulum [ladle] left [in "b9"-like formation], AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT (beginning at 4:00); C L CAESARES below. RIC I 207, RSC I 43, Sear RCV I 1597, BMCRE 533. 18 mm., 3.9 g.

    NEW COMBINED Augustus - Gaius & Lucius.jpg

    Augustus, Æ As, 11-12 AD Rome Mint. Obv. IMP CAESAR DIVI F AVGVSTVS IMP XX Bare head of Augustus to left / Rev. PONTIF MAXIM TRIBVN POT XXXIIII around large S•C. RIC I 471, BMCRE 275, Sear RCV I 1689, Cohen 226. 27 mm., 9.98 g, 7 h. Brown surfaces with some green patina. About very fine. Ex: Nomos, Obolos 11 (December 8, 2018), lot #489.

    Augustus As jpg version.jpg
     
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  20. ancientone

    ancientone Well-Known Member

    Happy Birthday Gaius Octavius!
    b~3.jpg
    Ionia, Teos. Augustus AE16
    Obv: ΣEBAΣTOΣ KTIΣTHΣ, bare head right.
    Rev: THIΩN, Dionysos, wearing long robe, standing left, holding kantharos and thyrsos.
    RPC 2512

    Happy Death day! What better commemorative than an eagle grabbing the world?
    a~8.jpg
    Divus Augustus Æ As. Commemorative by Tiberius.
    Obv: DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER, radiate head left, thunderbolt before
    Rev: Eagle standing on globe facing, wings spread, head right, S C at sides.
    RIC 82 [Tiberius]


    thessa.jpg
    Macedonia, Thessalonica. Augustus AE22
    Obv: KAIΣAP ΣEBAΣTOΣ / Bare head r.
    Rev: ΘEΣΣAΛONIKEΩN in wreath.


    And an extremely beautiful coin from the city founded in 28 BC by Octavian in memory of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium.
    EpirusAugustus3.jpg
    Achaea. Epirus, Nikopolis, AE18. Augustus Divus (under Hadrian) / Boar’s head prow
    Obv: AVGOVCTO CKTICTHC, Head of Augustus r., bare.
    Rev: NΕIΚΟΠΟ(Λ) ΕW(C), Boar’s head prow, r.
    Oikonomidou Augustus 56-57
     
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  21. Terence Cheesman

    Terence Cheesman Well-Known Member

    Denarius of Octavian 30-29 BC Brundisium or Rome Mint Obv Head of the Apollo of Actium right laureate. Rv. Octavian plowing with yoke of Oxen right RIC 272 CRI 424 3.91 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen augustusd51.jpg This coin celebrates the founding of the Colony of Nikopolis which was located on the site of his military encampment at Actium. He apparently enlarged the temple of Apollo which was situated nearby. The scene depicted on the reverse is Octavian in the act of setting up the boundaries of his new city.
     
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