Augustus (27 BC-14 AD), AR Denarius, Lugdunum (Lyon) mint, 2 BC-4 AD, Sear 1597

Roman Empire: Augustus (27 BC-14 AD), AR Denarius, Lugdunum (Lyon) mint, 2 BC-4 AD, Sear 1597 (3.76 g, 19 mm)

Gaius and Lucius caesars were the sons of Agrippa and Augustus's daughter Julia. Both died tragically in AD 4 and AD 2, respectively, leaving Tiberius, Augustus's wife Livia's son by an earlier marriage, the only heir.

Obverse: CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE (Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine (Julius Caesar), Father of the Country), laureate head of Augustus right

Reverse: AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT, C L CAESARES below (Sons of Augustus, Designated Consuls, First among the young, Caius (and) Lucius Caesars). Gaius & Lucius standing front, each with a hand resting on a round shield, a spear, & in field above, a lituus right & simpulum left (in "b9"-like formation)

 

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This is the Augustus coin that I've always planned to get, as it "kinda" has Gaius and Lucius and would serve as a holdover until I was able to get their obscure bust provincials.

I feel like I've missed the boat though because, while this denarius is the most common Augustus out there (so far as I can tell anyway) the price of this particular coin has blown up over the past few years. This isn't surprising, as they've all blown up, but this one seemingly has outpaced other Augustus reverses. It's a mystery to me, anybody have any insight?

 

Some sources regard this as a candidate for the so-called “Tribute penny”, which may be one of the reasons for the inflated prices. The primary candidate, the Tiberius Denarius with the Livia reverse, is also quite expensive vis-a-vis its rarity for this reason.

 

My Lugdunum mint denarius, however with the charging bull reverse. Apparently my coin commemorates Augustus’s biological father, Gaius Octavius, who had a military victory at the city of Thurium. The conquered city’s emblem was a bull.



AUGUSTUS 27 BC - AD 14 AR Denarius. 3.51g, 19.3mm MINTED: Lugdunum (Lyon) mint, 15 BC REF: RIC I 167a; Lyon 19; RSC 137 OBVERSE: AVGVSTVS DIVI F, bare head right. REVERSE: Bull butting right, left forefoot raised, lashing his tail; IMP • X in exergue.

Ex. Minotaur Coins

 

I picked this up for $20 from a colleague in Croatia when I was there working a few years back.