Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Gavin Richardson, post: 2622598, member: 83956&quot;]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.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>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 &amp; 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. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]575697[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in