Augustan Colonies

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Sulla80, Aug 24, 2025 at 7:48 AM.

  1. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

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  3. GarrettB

    GarrettB Well-Known Member

    A very enjoyable read, Sulla80, thanks for sharing. I wasn't aware of this. New coin requirement unlocked...
     
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  4. philologus_1

    philologus_1 Supporter! Supporter

    Another greatly informative and helpful post @Sulla80! THANKS!!

    Your RPC I 1656 is a wonderful specimen. As you know this series are often weakly struck and off-centered.

    Below is my best of the series. It's an RPC I 1660 (with a c/m as a bonus).
    upload_2025-8-24_16-39-11.png
    Troas
    50-54 AD
    Diam.: 17 mm
    Wt.: 3.7 g.
    Axis: 7h
    Howgego countermark: 303
     
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  5. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the kind words @philologus_1, I find that sometimes a simple coin with a good story can be very enjoyable. A nice Claudius (1660) with some very skinny looking priests. Starting colonies is hard work.
     
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  6. philologus_1

    philologus_1 Supporter! Supporter

    Absolutely true -- agreed!

    Yes, one of my first thoughts when I saw the coin was that the celator may have engraved the pair of bovine onto the die first, then realized there wasn't adequate remaining space for a pair of priests unless they were carved Twiggy-skinny.

    (One must be nearly as old as these coins to "get" the Twiggy-skinny reference.)

    BTW: I should have mentioned that the countermark on my 1660 is a Capricorn, which is interestingly closely associated with Caesar Augustus even though it was not his actual astrological birth sign.
     
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  7. Tall Paul

    Tall Paul Supporter! Supporter

    Thank you for sharing. Fascinating topic and insightful presentation. Here on LI there is a town by which the borders were established by the distance a man could ride a bull in a day. At least that's the foundation myth.
     
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  8. cmezner

    cmezner do ut des Supporter

    AE 27 (Assarion)
    Achaea (Peloponnesos), Patrae, struck after 14 AD under Tiberius
    8.709 g;

    RPC I 1253, BCD Peloponnesos 540-541, SNG Copenhagen 168, GIC 139;

    Ob.: DIVVS•AVGVSTVS•PATER Radiate head of Divus Augustus to left
    Rev.: COL•A•A / PATRENS Augustus, togate, holding staff and vexillum, standing left; two oxen walking left.

    upload_2025-8-24_20-49-32.png

    upload_2025-8-24_20-49-44.png
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2025 at 12:26 AM
  9. philologus_1

    philologus_1 Supporter! Supporter

    The post by @cmezner reminded me of this rather scarce Augustus in my collection:

    upload_2025-8-24_21-33-33.png
    Galatia province; Lycaonia (region), Lystra (city).
    Augustus, 6 BC - AD 14
    Bronze; Diam.: 26mm; Weight: 13.03 gr.
    Obv.: (IMPE A)VGVSTI, Laureate head left, cornucopiae behind
    Rev.: COL IVL FEI GEM (L)YSTR(A), Colonist ploughing left with two oxen
    Attrib.: RPC I 3538.
    (Schulten, 20 Oct. 1988, lot 599.)
     
  10. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Collecting for 49 years Moderator

    This cistophorus from Ephesus is what I've got for Augustus in my 12 Caesars set.

    [​IMG]
     
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  11. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Collecting for 49 years Moderator

    I had a Spanish Caligula with a settler plowing behind oxen, but alas, no pix of it survive. It succumbed to bronze disease.
     
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