Augustus lived for 77 years, 41 years Emperor.

I have recently been watching the different portrait styles on Augustus's coinage, this Emperor who in Jan 27 BC was bestowed upon Octavian (his previous title) the offices of Consul, Censor, Tribune and Imperator for life
and wen't on to reign for 41 years. I think it would be of great interest to
all Roman coin collectors to see the changes in his portrait character over
these 41 years, I have a few but I will start it with one of his earliest 25 BC
Ephesus (probability) 26mm, 11.3 gm RPC 2235, RIC 486 and another near
the end of his reign 9-14 AD Lugdunum. 27mm, 10.77gm, RIC 1 233. It's up to you guy's to post the portraits in between.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

This one dates to 19-18 BC, when he was in his mid-40s.


AUGUSTUS
Moneyers' Series
AR Denarius. 3.64g, 19.9mm, Rome mint, 19-18 BC, P. Petronius Turpilianus, moneyer. RIC 297 (R2). O: CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head right. R: P PETRON TVRPILIAN III VIR, Pegasus walking right.

Augustus came to be very conscious about how his image was projected, so on most of his coinage, what the average Roman saw was what he wanted them to see. Even his very last issues (like the ones with the 'Tribute Penny' reverse) tend to show a good-looking man in the prime of his life rather than a decrepit one in his mid-70s.

I find interesting his portraits as Octavian, particularly the earlier ones, when many probably still wrote him off as a young upstart with little future. For example, it's clear to see on the Antony/Octavian double-header who was being portrayed as the man and who the boy, even when he was already 22 years old.


TRIUMVIRS / MARK ANTONY & OCTAVIAN
M. Barbatius Pollio, quaestor pro praetore
AR Denarius. 3.57g, 20.3mm. Ephesus mint, Spring-early summer 41 BC. Crawford 517/2; CRI 243; Sydenham 1181. O: M ANT IMP AVG III VIR R P C M BARBAT Q P, head of Antony right. R: CAESAR IMP PONT III VIR R P C, head of Octavian right.

 

Thanks, that's the info that makes this subject so interesting.

 

Nice coin Andres2 fine style for at the end of his reign.

 

Augustus Caesar, BC 27 - 14 AD
AE, As, 9.5g, 27mm; 2h; Rome mint, BC 6
Obv.:CAESAR AVGVSTVS PONT MAX TRIBVNIC POT; bare head right
Rev.: A LICIN NERVA SILIAN IIIVIR AAAFF around large SC with dot between
Moneyer Aulus Licinius Nerva Silianus, consul in AD 7, was the son of Publius Silius, consul in 20 BC, but was adopted into the family of the Licinii Nervae. I'm not really sure when this one was minted. Maybe my notes says something.


Octavian, 27 BC - AD 14
AE32, 16g, 6h; Colonia Celsa.
Obv.: II VIR COL V I CELSA; bare head of Octavian right.
Rev.: Bull right; L.POMPE.BVCCO above, L.CORNE.FRONT (moneyers).
The above coin is believed to predate him being made Augustus.


Caesar Augustus, 27 BC - AD 14
Æ24, 8g, 12h; Antioch mint, 4/5 BC.
Obv.: AΡXIEΡEI KAIΣAΡ ΣEB; Laureate head right.
Rev.: AΡXIE / ΡATIKON / ANTIO/ XEIΣ / ZK within wreath of an archiereus.

 

Thanks Jwt708 that's a nice set of early portraits.

 

Nice coins, everyone! A nice denarius of Augustus is perpetually on "the list" but other coins keep getting ahead of him in line .

Here's a decent Nemausus of him with Agrippa (Augustus is on the right), but it doesn't seem to be a very realistic portrait. It doesn't look much like his Imperial portraits.


Augustus & Agrippa
struck c. 10 BCE - CE 10, Nemausus
AE dupondius
Obv: IMP/DIVI F, back-to-back heads of Agrippa, in combined rostral crown & laurel wreath, and Augustus, laureate
Rev: COL - NEM; palm tree, top bent top right with a wreath above; crocodile chained to palm tree
Ref: RIC 158; AMC 425; Cohen 10; RPC 524

 

At least his nose is in your one TIF, I am going to write in and complain about my one.

 

I apologize for my use of dealers pics, i have photographed most of my coins, but I did it quite a while ago, I would take the shot on top off the 2 x 2 before I would insert/close it that way you get the info without the glare/reflection of plastic, back then I did not think I was going to be presenting on CT. A sample.

 

That's a nice coin TIF, the main difference seems to be the length of his nose, I think he shortened it up for his Imperial portraits.

 

Five fourree denarii that span the period:

With Caesar as adoptee:


With Antony as triumvir:


Very shortly before becoming Augustus 30-27 BC:


With Caius and Lucius when there was still hope for succession:


With Tiberius very shortly before death:


All these are available in high grade, full silver models as an option for those who prefer their coins top drawer. Fourrees of this period are extremely common so I do recommend buyers of expensive coins learn to tell the differences even when the silver is unbroken.

 

Adrian Goldsworthy in his book "Augustus: From Revolutionary to Emperor" states that Augustus refused to allow "up to date" images of himself on coins or statues. You won't find an image of Augustus not in his prime.

 

77 years was equivalent to three lifetimes during that era. The lifespan of the average Roman Emperor was about 2.5-3 years. Of course mortality must have been on their minds constantly - so they lived it up while they could.

 

Wonderful posts everyone!!

It seems @Pishpash hit the nail on the head....Augustus always appears young and virile---in his prime and never old like me LOL

I'll throw in one that differs a bit (Oops, I just noticed JWT posted one) and has a very nice portrait---a Provincial bronze from Antioch (22 mm) struck circa 5/4 BC----pushing 60 about this time:

 

Augustus didn't. He generally ate sparsely, his furniture was simple, Livia was often seen through the open doorway working on her loom. Presumably a message to the people.

 

Since I just posted the above already 'listed' bronze, I'll throw in these examples---Octavian fourree denarius (Crocodile reverse) and a commemorative denarius of 'Augustus with a very youthful JC; the former dates about 28 BC and the latter circa 27 BC-14 AD:

 

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


KINGS of THRACE, Sapaian. Rhoemetalces I, with Pythodoris, Augustus, and Livia (Late 1st century BC-AD)
Æ 27
O: Heads of Augustus, laureate, and Livia, conjoined right; to right, capricorn right, holding globe.
R: Diademed head of Rhoemetalces and draped bust of Pythodoris, conjoined right.
27mm
13.8g
Youroukova 182-4, 186; RPC I 1708


Augustus, with Gaius Caesar, ( 27 B.C - 14 A.D.)
Phrygia, Apamea.
Gaius Masonius Rufus, Magistrate
Ӕ20
O: ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ, laureate head right.
R: ΓΑΙΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ ΓΑΙΟΣ ΜΑΣΩΝΙΟΣ ΡΟΥΦΟΣ ΑΠAΜΕΩΝ, Gaius Caesar in facing quadriga.
20mm
4.46g
RPC 3129


Tiberius (14 - 34 A.D.)
AR 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

 

y'all seen him before...