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1187

Augustus. Silver Denarius (3.82 g), 27 BC-AD 14. Emerita(?), ca. 19/8 BC. Head of Augustus right, wreathed

with oak-leaves. Rev. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, two laurel branches. (RIC 33a (Caesaraugusta?); BN 1283-4;

BMC 318-20; RSC 47). An outstanding example. Well struck with underlying lustrous surfaces and lightly

toned. Superb extremely fine.

$ 2,500

When Octavian was awarded the honorary title of Augustus in 27 BC investing him with supreme power, he was also given the

right to decorate his door posts with laurel branches, a sign of martial victory, and the

corona civica

, an oak-wreath symbolizing the

saving of a Roman life. In the case of Augustus, the laurel branches signified his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium,

and the

corona civica

was awarded for saving the life of not one citizen but of many thousands when he successfully ended the civil

wars. On this coin Augustus is portrayed wearing the oak wreath crown - something that occurs only occasionally on Roman coins -

which by law he was required to do at every public gathering.Recent scholarship indicates that the two mints identified in RIC (i.e.,

Caesaraugusta and Colonia Patricia) are unlikely for several reasons (see the summary in Triton XI, 723). RIC assigns this coin to a

possible mint located at Caesaraugusta, but here we follow the recent scholarship and assign it to Emerita.

1188

Augustus. Silver Denarius (3.75 g), 27 BC-AD 14. Tarraco(?), ca. 18 BC. S P Q R IMP CAESARI AVG COS

XI TRI POT VI, bare head of Augustus right. Rev. CIVIB ET SIGN MILIT A PART RECVPE, triumphal

arch of Augustus with emperor in facing quadriga above central arch between two soldiers standing facing

him, the one on the left raising a standard, the one on the right raising a legionary eagle. (RIC 137 (Colonia

Patricia?); BN 1232; BMC 428; RSC 84). Boldly struck on a lovely full flan and well centered. Lustrous

surfaces, lightly toned. Superb extremely fine.

$ 2,500

The reverse type depicts the Arcus Augusti, a triumphal arch erected in AD 19 to commemorate the return of the legionary standards

captured by the Parthians from Crassus at the disastrous battle of Carrhae in 63 BC. The two soldiers flanking the emperor on

the top of the arch are Parthian warriors shown presenting the standards to Augustus. Interestingly, while the use of the triumphal

arch gave the impression that Augustus had reclaimed the standards through military victory, they were in fact returned as part of a

bloodless diplomatic settlement.