Emperors of Rome. Augustus, 27 BC-14 AD. Circa 18 BC. AV-Aureus 7.79 g. Spanish Mint, likely Colonia Patricia.
Obverse: CAESARI – AVGVSTO, laureate head to left.
Reverse: S P Q R in exergue. Triumphal Quadriga to right, carrying legionary eagle.
References: RIC 107b (R4), Cohen 273, Calicó 278 (this coin).
Provenance: Ex Fruhwald Auktionen 141, April 2-3, 2021, lot 4; Numismatik Lanz 26, 1983, 432; Leo Biaggi de Blasys Collection, 135; V. J. E. Ryan Collection Part IV, Glendining, February 20, 1951, lot 1620; Bruti Liberati Collection, P.&P. Santamaria 14, January 16, 1924, lot 43; Achille Cantoni Collection, P.&P. Santamaria, November 29, 1920, lot 217
Description: Augustus appears near the top of nearly every list of the “greatest” Roman Emperors, and with good reason. During his lengthy rule, Augustus piled success upon success in nearly every field.
He greatly expanded the Empire, annexing not only the crucial bread-basket of Egypt, but also the provinces of Dalmatia, Pannonia, Noricum, and Raetia. Augustus further extended Roman Africa, and completed the conquest of Spain (where he also dislodged the last of Pompey’s allies).
Augustus reformed the Roman system of taxation, built roads and border fortifications, established a standing army and the Praetorian Guard, and undertook numerous social reforms, including forming police, postal and firefighting services. Augustus himself was well-aware of his accomplishments. Indeed, his final public words were reputedly “[b]ehold, I found Rome of clay, and leave her to you of marble.” This statement was assuredly both literal, referring to his massive public works projects in Rome and the provinces, and metaphorical, referring to the new stability of a Roman world that had experienced decades of turmoil.
The man who would become Augustus was originally named Gaius Octavius. Octavius was born into the wealthy and powerful gens Octavia, and was the great nephew of Julius Caesar. While Octavius was too young to have held significant office under his uncle, Octavius was named in Caesar's will as his adopted son and heir, after which Octavius took the name Gaius Julius Caesar (though modern historians would refer to him as Octavian, to avoid confusion with his adoptive father). Following Caesar’s assassination, and a period of infighting between Octavian, the Senate and Antony, Octavian, Mark Antony, and Marcus Lepidus would form the so-called “Second Triumvirate,” to bring justice to Caesar’s assassins, and, less openly, to divide the Roman world.
In 42 BC, the Second Triumvirate would engage the armies of the assassins in battle at Phillipi and, largely thanks to a successful assault by Antony and missteps by Brutus, emerged victorious as masters of Rome. The Second Triumvirate divided the Roman Republic among themselves (Antony in the East, Octavian in the West, and Lepidus in Spain and North Africa) and ruled as de facto dictators.
The Second Triumvirate began to deteriorate almost as soon as it had come to power. In 40 BC, Antony’s wife and brother would attempt to gain control of Italy in the short-lived Perusine War. In 36 BC, Lepidus would be exiled and Octavian would seize his lands, leaving he and Antony as de facto co-rulers. Five uneasy years later, the peace between Antony and Octavian would shatter and the two would go to war. After Augustus’ general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa defeated the forces of Antony and his lover Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC, Octavian gained sole control over Rome.
After the demise of the Second Triumvirate, Augustus restored the outward façade of the free Republic, with governmental power vested in the Roman Senate, the executive magistrates, and the legislative assemblies, yet maintained autocratic authority by having the Senate grant him lifetime tenure as supreme military command, tribune, and censor. At this time, Octavian received the titles of “Augustus,” and “Princeps,” or first citizen,
This piece is one of the several “triumphal” issues of Augustus’ reign, and likely refers to the successful return of the legionary standards that the Parthians had previously captured from Crassus and Antony in their respective defeats. Augustus successfully negotiated for the return of the standards following his conquest of Armenia and subsequent negotiations with the neighboring Parthians who were eager to avoid further war. The Romans placed significant import on the protection of their legionary standards, and the loss of one was seen as a disgrace that needed to be avenged (forces under Varus lost three legionary standards in the disastrous defeat at Teutorburg Forest, an event that would haunt Augustus for the remainder of his reign). This aureus was one of a number of issues that commemorates these events.
Reverse: S P Q R in exergue. Triumphal Quadriga to right, carrying legionary eagle.
References: RIC 107b (R4), Cohen 273, Calicó 278 (this coin).
Provenance: Ex Fruhwald Auktionen 141, April 2-3, 2021, lot 4; Numismatik Lanz 26, 1983, 432; Leo Biaggi de Blasys Collection, 135; V. J. E. Ryan Collection Part IV, Glendining, February 20, 1951, lot 1620; Bruti Liberati Collection, P.&P. Santamaria 14, January 16, 1924, lot 43; Achille Cantoni Collection, P.&P. Santamaria, November 29, 1920, lot 217
Description: Augustus appears near the top of nearly every list of the “greatest” Roman Emperors, and with good reason. During his lengthy rule, Augustus piled success upon success in nearly every field.
He greatly expanded the Empire, annexing not only the crucial bread-basket of Egypt, but also the provinces of Dalmatia, Pannonia, Noricum, and Raetia. Augustus further extended Roman Africa, and completed the conquest of Spain (where he also dislodged the last of Pompey’s allies).
Augustus reformed the Roman system of taxation, built roads and border fortifications, established a standing army and the Praetorian Guard, and undertook numerous social reforms, including forming police, postal and firefighting services. Augustus himself was well-aware of his accomplishments. Indeed, his final public words were reputedly “[b]ehold, I found Rome of clay, and leave her to you of marble.” This statement was assuredly both literal, referring to his massive public works projects in Rome and the provinces, and metaphorical, referring to the new stability of a Roman world that had experienced decades of turmoil.
The man who would become Augustus was originally named Gaius Octavius. Octavius was born into the wealthy and powerful gens Octavia, and was the great nephew of Julius Caesar. While Octavius was too young to have held significant office under his uncle, Octavius was named in Caesar's will as his adopted son and heir, after which Octavius took the name Gaius Julius Caesar (though modern historians would refer to him as Octavian, to avoid confusion with his adoptive father). Following Caesar’s assassination, and a period of infighting between Octavian, the Senate and Antony, Octavian, Mark Antony, and Marcus Lepidus would form the so-called “Second Triumvirate,” to bring justice to Caesar’s assassins, and, less openly, to divide the Roman world.
In 42 BC, the Second Triumvirate would engage the armies of the assassins in battle at Phillipi and, largely thanks to a successful assault by Antony and missteps by Brutus, emerged victorious as masters of Rome. The Second Triumvirate divided the Roman Republic among themselves (Antony in the East, Octavian in the West, and Lepidus in Spain and North Africa) and ruled as de facto dictators.
The Second Triumvirate began to deteriorate almost as soon as it had come to power. In 40 BC, Antony’s wife and brother would attempt to gain control of Italy in the short-lived Perusine War. In 36 BC, Lepidus would be exiled and Octavian would seize his lands, leaving he and Antony as de facto co-rulers. Five uneasy years later, the peace between Antony and Octavian would shatter and the two would go to war. After Augustus’ general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa defeated the forces of Antony and his lover Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC, Octavian gained sole control over Rome.
After the demise of the Second Triumvirate, Augustus restored the outward façade of the free Republic, with governmental power vested in the Roman Senate, the executive magistrates, and the legislative assemblies, yet maintained autocratic authority by having the Senate grant him lifetime tenure as supreme military command, tribune, and censor. At this time, Octavian received the titles of “Augustus,” and “Princeps,” or first citizen,
This piece is one of the several “triumphal” issues of Augustus’ reign, and likely refers to the successful return of the legionary standards that the Parthians had previously captured from Crassus and Antony in their respective defeats. Augustus successfully negotiated for the return of the standards following his conquest of Armenia and subsequent negotiations with the neighboring Parthians who were eager to avoid further war. The Romans placed significant import on the protection of their legionary standards, and the loss of one was seen as a disgrace that needed to be avenged (forces under Varus lost three legionary standards in the disastrous defeat at Teutorburg Forest, an event that would haunt Augustus for the remainder of his reign). This aureus was one of a number of issues that commemorates these events.