The Cilician town of Augusta was founded in AD 20, named after Livia, the widow of Caesar Augustus. The ancient site was flooded with the construction of the Seyhan Dam in 1955, but archaeologists managed to survey a few features prior to the flooding: the foundations of a triumphal arch, two colonnaded streets crossing each other, a theater, a civic basilica, some shops, a bath building and a dam on the river. Livia had been married to Tiberius Claudius Nero, but she divorced him and married Octavian. When the Senate granted Octavian the title Augustus in 27 BC, making him the first Roman emperor, Livia likewise became the first Roman empress. Caesar Augustus adopted her son Tiberius as his heir. She was the great grandmother of Caligula, grandmother of Claudius, and great-great grandmother of Nero. In AD 42, she was deified by Claudius. This is a rare type – RPC lists only seven examples. I found twelve on acsearch. CILICIA, Augusta. Livia Drusilla, (Julia Augusta) 27 BC – AD 14. AE17, 4.8g, 12h. Dated RY 11 (AD 30/1) Obv: Diademed and draped bust of Livia right; bead and reel border, no legend. Rx: AYGOY - STANON AI; Helmeted bust of Athena right, wearing aegis. Ref.: SNG Levante 1242, RPC I 4011.
Very nice coin, John. Great look to it. My only coin of her. Livia (30 B.C. - 29 A.D) IONIA, Ephesos Æ 16 Magistrate, Aristeas Asklepiades O: Draped bust of Livia right, hair in a bun. R: EFE GRAMMATEUS ARISTEAS ASKLHPI-ADHS in five lines across fields and in exergue, Stag standing right. 3.8g 16mm RPC I 2576; SNG Cop 367 Rare
My only coin with a depiction of her (if you can call it that at this point...she looks more like a zombie from Walking Dead) is this provincial from Turiaso, Spain that FFIVN and I picked up at our first coin show looking for ancients. Augustus AE28 2 BC-14 AD Turiaso, Spain Obverse: IMP AVGVSTVS P P, Laureate head of Augustus right Reverse: TVRIASO, Head of Livia right
I have these two. Livia, under Augustus, 27 BC - AD 13. Roman Æ diobol, 7.41 g, 24.2 mm, 1 h. Egypt, Alexandria, 6th series, AD 10-11. Obv: Bare head right with Nodus hairstyle. Rev: Date (LM=40) within oak wreath. Refs: BMC 16.4, 31; SGI 209; Emmett 57; RPC 5054. Notes: Lindgren sale 38, lot 110. Livia, wife of Augustus, and Julia, daughter of Augustus. Roman provincial Æ 17.2 mm, 3.44 g. Mysia, Pergamon, 10 - 2 BC. Obv: ΛΙΒΙΑΝ ΗΡΑΝ ΧΑΡΙΝΟΣ, draped bust of Livia as Hera, right. Rev: ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝ ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΗΝ, draped bust of Julia as Aphrodite, right. Refs: RPC I 2359; BMC 15.139, 249; SGI 213; SNG Copenhagen-467; Vagi 370.
Playing such a great role in the early Empire. Being related to so many famous names, why are there so few coins of her?
I have this - Livia's portrait could have been better but the price would also have been more than what I paid - 10 EUR Macedon. Thessalonica. Tiberius and Livia AD 14-37. Bronze Æ 21 mm, 8,41 g ΤΙ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ, head of Tiberius, r. / ΣΕΒΑΣΤΗ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΕΩΝ, bust of Livia, r RPC I 1567, Touratsoglou, Tiberius 38–61 (c. 22–3 and later)
Livia appears on official coinage of Bithynia (M. Granius Marcellus, FITA, p. 145). The seated female figure is described in FITA, p. 145, as Livia; but, whether this is true or not, she does not provide a precedent for the priestess type since she carries a double cornucopia; nor does she appear to be veiled. Æ 32, Uncertain mint in Bithynia (Apameia Myrlea?) 14 AD 31 x 32 mm, 18.860 g RPC 2097; Recueil General 38; FITA 145-6; McClean 3028; Stumpf 178-9 G. Stumpf, "Numismatische Studien zur Chronologie der Römischen Statthalter in Kleinasien" (1991) p. 272, No. 1428 Ob.: IMP•CAESAR•AVGVSTVS• PONTIF•MA(X TR P) Jugate busts of Augustus and Livia to l. Rev.: M GRANIVS•MARCELLVS•PROCOS Livia seated to r. holding double cornucopiae.
Having an affinity for her coins I'm green with envy over your new acquisition JA. I know, I know the first one is hotly debated. But still, could be Livia:
Dattari Collection Egypt, Alexandria. In the name of Livia, wife of Augustus Diobol circa 1-2 (year 31), Æ 23.5mm., 7.46g. Draped bust r. Rev. Athena standing l., holding Nike and leaning on shield; L-ΛA. Dattari-Savio Pl. 3, 60 (this coin). RPC pag. 692, 5 (this coin cited). Very rare. Nice brown-green tone. Very Fine From the Dattari collection. Naville Comments: In our opinion is correct the interpretation of Dattari on this coin and the date shown on the Rev. is L-ΛA and not LMA as suggested from RPC. ex Dattari-Savio Pl. 3 60-this coin RPC page 692-5-this coin RARE Ex: Naville Numismatics
Interesting! I've got a healthy number of Cilician Provincials, but I don't think I've ever had one from Augusta. (For the curious, RPC Online so far lists 59 types for Cilicia, Augusta from Tiberius to Trebonianus Gallus.) It seems like a scarce mint, as searching ACSearch for "Cilicia, Augusta" yields only 163 results (for comparison, "Cilicia, Hierapolis" -- as in Castabala -- gives 348 results). I don't have many "presentable" Livia's... A so-so Tribute Penny I grabbed on impulse at Savoca a couple years ago: And one of the Tiberius - Livia-as-Pietas Dupondii. It's an odd feeling to look at the coin because it has the kind of green patina that is very easy to admire -- except that it is pocked all over and has a big chop across the face! It would make a better story if I could say that chop across her head was some kind of Damnatio Memoriae, but, in this case, it's easy to say that the damage was modern because it specifically affects the patina: EDIT: Oh, just noticed, @Alegandron -- great Alexandrian Livia!
