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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;DonnaML, post: 7901323, member: 110350&quot;]Although I have several coins of Augustus -- which themselves tend to be quite expensive -- I have never, until now, bought one of his coins from the period before 27 BCE when he was known as Octavian. It seems almost impossible to find one in halfway decent condition that doesn&#039;t cost well over $500. The one I just purchased cost considerably less than that, and even has a provenance, so I decided to buy it even though its condition isn&#039;t really more than &quot;halfway&quot; decent -- it looks better in hand than in photos, and it&#039;s good enough for me!</p><p><br /></p><p>The Triumvirs, Octavian, AR Denarius, Autumn 30-Summer 29 BC, Italian (Rome?) Mint. Obv. Bare head right, anepigraphic / Rev. Octavian’s Actian arch (<i>arcus Octaviani</i>), showing a single span surmounted by statute of Octavian in facing triumphal quadriga; IMP • CAESAR on the architrave. CRI 422 (ill. p. 257) [D. Sear, <i>The History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators</i> 49-27 BC (1998)]; RIC I 267 (Augustus); RSC 123 (Augustus); Sear RCV I 1558, BMCRR 4348 (= BMCRE 624). Toned, scratches, some scrapes, and banker&#039;s marks. Fine. 21mm, 3.25 g, 3 h. <i>From the Lampasas Collection. Ex. Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 487, Lot 474 (10 March 2021); ex Classical Numismatic Group Electronic Auction 390, Lot 456 (1 February 2017).*</i></p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;[ATTACH=full]1364379[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>*See CRI pp. 257-258: “Prior to excavations in the Roman Forum in 1950-53 the size of the arch depicted on the second of the architectural denarii in the IMP CAESAR series [see also No. 421, RIC 266]&nbsp; remained uncertain. It is known that the Senate had decreed arches at Rome and Brundisium to commemorate Octavian&#039;s victory at Actium, but the remains discovered in 1888 near the temple of Divus Julius were of a triple arch which did not accord well with the appearance of the coin type. Further investigation on the site eventually revealed traces of an earlier single span structure which may be identified as Octavian&#039;s Actium arch. This had evidently been demolished little more than a decade after its erection when the much larger triple span <i>arcus Augusti </i>was constructed in 19 BC in honour of Augustus&#039; recovery from the Parthians of the legionary standards lost by Crassus and Antony.” [Footnotes omitted.]</p><p><br /></p><p>I downloaded a brief video of the coin provided by the dealer, but for whatever reason it doesn&#039;t show up when I click on &quot;upload a file.&quot; (The Facebook link is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1628887970/videos/pcb.578179026874857/443666673626750" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.facebook.com/1628887970/videos/pcb.578179026874857/443666673626750" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/1628887970/videos/pcb.578179026874857/443666673626750</a>, but it&#039;s to the private Facebook group where I bought it, so I believe one would have to be a member to view it.)</p><p><br /></p><p>Please post your own Octavians -- I&#039;m sure all or most of them will put mine to shame, but I&#039;d love to see them anyway![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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