Post your Augustus coins. On this day, Octavian became Augustus, beginning the Roman Empire

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Roman Collector, Jan 16, 2017.

  1. Ancient Aussie

    Ancient Aussie Well-Known Member

    I think that is a great coin, what temple is that Mars, Vesta or some other?
     
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  3. 4to2centBC

    4to2centBC Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]

    Augustus Cistophoric Tetradrachm Ephesus


    AUGUSTUS. 27 BC-14 AD. AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm (24mm, 11.89 gm, Die Axis 1:00). Ephesus mint. Struck 24-20 BC. IMP. CAE-SAR, bare head right / AVGVSTVS, capricorn right, head left, holding cornucopiae; all within laurel wreath. References: BMC (Vol. I) No. 696; CBN (Vol. I) 916; RIC (Vol. I) 480; RPC (Vol. I) 2213; RSC (Vol. I) 16; Sutherland Group VI No. 239 (O33/R43) THIS COIN (illustrated). Toned. Satin brown patina. Silver highlights

    Sutherland plate coin (The Cistophori of Augustus)

    Ex Rodolfo Ratto Sale, Lugano Switzerland (Feb. 8, 1928), Lot 1719
    Ex Lempertz (23 February 1939), lot 960.
    Ex CNG via private sale
    Ex John Malcolm Hayes Collection (corinthstater.com)

    In honor of the day.
     
  4. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    Here’s mine. A common issue, but perhaps a little interesting because it’s completely toned. I think I bought it from Jeff Clark. Here’s a little write-up I did for it a few years ago. Feel free to correct or add to the information below.


    Augustus Caesar (born Octavian) silver denarius. (Mine appears to be dipped in chocolate. This is what happens when you don’t polish your silver for 2000 years.) Augustus ruled from 27 BC (in effect, from the Battle of Actium in 31 BC) until his death in AD 14—some 45 years. Plenty of persons in the Mediterranean world would have been born, lived, and died knowing only Augustus as emperor. The fact that this coin circulated widely up until Augustus’ death, portraying an eternally youthful Emperor, meant that he probably seemed an ageless god to the Roman people. However, Augustus’ claims for himself are a bit more modest. He doesn’t claim to be a god, just the son of a god. The obverse legend of the coin reads (counterclockwise starting at 5 o’clock): CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE: “Caesar Augustus, son of the deified (filius divi), father of his country.” The deified, of course, is Augustus’ adoptive father Julius Caesar, who by this time had been apotheosized. The reverse reads: AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT C, L CAESARES: “Augusti Filii Consules Designati Principes Juventutis Caius et Lucius Caesares.” This coin announces grandsons Caius and Lucius to be the heirs of Augustus since he did not have a son. These teenage boys were “princes of youth” (Principes Juventutis) and were nominated to be consuls—high Roman office. Caius and Lucius are standing in front with shields & spears; in the field above, a lituus left and simpulum right. These are priestly instruments. A simpulum was a ladle used in making sacrifice. The lituus was used in augury—a form of Roman political fortune telling—and may be the forerunner of the bishop’s crozier. The boys apparently were pretty bad augurs since they didn’t see their own imminent deaths. Lucius dies of illness at 19; Caius dies the following year from a battle wound. Augustus had a hard time finding suitable heirs who stayed healthy.
    AUG1.jpg
     
  5. ro1974

    ro1974 Well-Known Member

    Thanks
    I dont know,
    I could not find any infomation about it
     
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  6. ro1974

    ro1974 Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]
    Alway nice a Augustus sestertius, from my
     
  7. ancientone

    ancientone Well-Known Member

    EpirusAugustus3.jpg
    Epirus, Nikopolis, AE18. Augustus / Head of boar
    Obv: AVGOVCTO CKTICTHC, Head of Augustus r., bare.
    Rev: NΕIΚΟΠΟ(Λ) ΕW(C), Head of boar r.

    Nikopolis, Epirus was founded in 31 BC by Octavian in memory of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium the previous year.
     
  8. RaceBannon

    RaceBannon Member

    Nice Augustus coins! I think someone already posted one of these. But here's my example.

    Augustus; 22-30 AD
    (Posthumous Commem minted under Tiberius)
    AE As; Rome Mint; 29mm/11g
    Obv: DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER; Radiate bust Augustus right
    Rev: PROVIDENT S C Facade of Ara Providentiae Augusti Double Panelled Door and Horns Above (Sear 1789, RIC I 81)

    Avgvstvs OBV.JPG Avgvstvs Rev.JPG

    My other one is a provincial.

    Augustus/Octavian; 25 BC
    AE As 27mm/9.4 g Cyprus Mint, (Provincial)
    OBV; CAESAR, bare head of Augustus right
    REV: AVGVSTVS within laurel wreath.
    (RIC 486, BMCRE 731, RPC 2235)
    Augustus Obv.JPG Augustus Rev (2).JPG
     
  9. ro1974

    ro1974 Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]
    Copia dupondius Octavian/Augustus
    My collection:

    [​IMG]
    AUGUSTUS with Agrippa. with the leters P

    12,6 gr. RIC. 159.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2017
  10. Ancient Aussie

    Ancient Aussie Well-Known Member

    I found an excerpt in Monumental coins by Marvin Tameanko, with the explanation that unidentified but probably the fifth temple of Vesta, see to right of diagram 20170117_093334.jpg .
     
  11. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Great Augustus examples (Augustii?)

    ;)
    Augustus AE As Celsa Bull.jpg Augustus Simpulum.jpg Augustus Elephant Sestertius.jpg augustus ax.jpg augustus bx.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2017
  12. Ancient Aussie

    Ancient Aussie Well-Known Member

    I have a few Augustus, but this semis minted in the later part of his life (9-14AD) is a favorite 18mm, 5.27gm. 20161108_151311.jpg 20161108_151233.jpg
     
  13. akeady

    akeady Well-Known Member

    This one I like - RIC 252. Close up, it doesn't look so nice :D

    [​IMG]
     
  14. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    I don't want you to have an inferior coin in your tray. I'll take that one off your hands :D
     
  15. akeady

    akeady Well-Known Member

    Hehe - I'll suffer on with it, scratches and all :D
     
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  16. IdesOfMarch01

    IdesOfMarch01 Well-Known Member

  17. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    A couple of lovely denarii posted here by @akeady and @IdesOfMarch feature in this discussion from Paul Zanker’s The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus: “Never before had coins of such beauty been minted in Rome…In comparison with the crowded and barely legible coins of the Late Republican period these were models of clarity and simplicity.” IMG_0001.jpg IMG_0002.jpg IMG_0003.jpg
     
  18. akeady

    akeady Well-Known Member

    Interesting book, thanks for pic. I have 6 others on those pages, in varying conditions:

    RIC 251:
    [​IMG]

    RIC 254b:
    [​IMG]

    RIC 267:
    [​IMG]

    RIC 265a:
    [​IMG]

    RIC 250a:
    [​IMG]

    RIC 269a:
    [​IMG]
     
  19. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    I really love those minimalist obverse designs. I wonder if Augustus directed those himself, or if he had an arbiter elegantiae who directed this series with a beautifully understated, artistic eye. Beautiful coins, all.
     
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  20. akeady

    akeady Well-Known Member

    They're nice alright and quite different from the later coins of the Empire - Octavian is depicted as a god more like the Lysimachos tetradrachm depiction of Alexander than a living person. It was a time of transition too - the short legends (IMP CAESAR & CAESAR DIVI F) reflect that his authority came from being the adopted son of the divine Julius, before sorting out the constitutional niceties in 27 BC and becoming the Augustus & Princeps. Much more elegant coins than the later ones with crowded legends, recording a litany of titles to give their bearers some semblance of legality :D

    Gratuitous worn denarius (RIC 257):
    [​IMG]

    ATB,
    Aidan.
     
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