Augustus: An Imposing House for an Impotent Senate

[Curtisimo]

Roman Republic, Octavian 
AR Denarius, 30-29BC, Italian Mint
(21 mm, 11h, 3.54 g)
Obv.: Bare head right.
Rev.: Curia Julia with IMP CAESAR on architrave, at apex, Victory standing upon globe with warriors at the angles.
Ref.: RIC, 266; RSC, 122
Ex Achille Cantoni Collection (1844-1914†), P. & P. Santamaria, lot 207 (November 29, 1920); Ex Walter Niggeler Collection (1878-1964†), Munzen und Medaillen AG & Bank Leu AG, Sammlung Walter Niggeler 2 Teil, lot 1014 (October 21, 1966); Ex Marc Poncin Collection, CNG Mail Bid Sale 72, lot 1357 (June 14, 2006)

Over the last few years I have been working on a project to collect a representative series of interesting denarii from the time of Julius Caesar to the death of Severus Alexander. For this sub-collection I am looking for coins that are interesting for reasons that go beyond just the grade. You can read more about my progress on write ups below.

Curtisimo’s Imperial Denarii

Octavianus Unchallenged 
In 29 BC Octavian returned to Rome from the conquest of Egypt and the final defeat of Marcus Antonius (Marc Antony) and Cleopatra. He was 33 years old and in complete and unchallenged control of the Roman world. From a practical perspective, he was in much the same situation that his adoptive father, Julius Caesar, was in when he was in control of Rome from 49-44 BC.

Caesar was famously brazen in his display of power and in his attitude toward the senate. He chose to legitimize his position in the most unambiguous manner possible by having himself declared Dictator for Life in 44 BC. Octavian learned well the lesson of Caesar’s assassination and chose to formalize his legal position slowly, taking years to accumulate the package of powers that would make him as powerful on paper as his adoptive father had been. The reality, of course, is that after the defeat of Antony, Octavian (Augustus after 27 BC) was in charge.

The coins struck by Octavian between the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and the First Constitutional Settlement of 27 BC are my favorite because they show most clearly Octavian’s struggle to find balance between claiming glory for himself and being respectful of Republican traditions. This coin was struck in 29 BC to commemorate the opening of the Senate House (Curia Julia) attached to the forum that was begun by Julius Caesar.

On the obverse of this coin we see no legends proclaiming his titles or achievements. Just a modest portrait that is notably bare headed. Apparently, striking portrait coins showing a living Roman was no longer as taboo as it had been when Julius Caesar did it in 44 BC.

The reverse shows the newly built Senate House (the Curia Julia). The choice of this as a type, and the desire to rebuild the Curia in general, are emblematic of Octavian’s desire to court the good will of the Roman senate. It is ironic that one of Octavian’s first acts as undisputed leader was to dedicate a new building in honor of a group of people he had just definitively taken authority from.

The Curia Julia Through the Ages
I enjoy the fact that architecture coins are often the first representation of a building that has seen thousands of years of history. As such I’d like to do something a bit different and track the history of representations of this building starting with my new coin.

In Antiquity
The building was dedicated in August of 29 BC which was commemorated by the above coin. It was damaged by the fire of Nero in AD 64 and repaired by Domitian in AD 94 [1]. It was repaired again by Diocletian after it was damaged by a fire under Carinus in AD 283 [1]. In antiquity, the bricks we see today would have been covered by a marble facing.

The western Roman Empire fell in AD 476. However, the city’s fortunes really declined during the Gothic Wars of the mid 500s, particularly after the cutting of the aqueducts during the siege of Rome in AD 537. Rome’s population collapsed to about 30,000 people by AD 550 and most of the buildings would have been abandoned and left to decay.

Medieval Period

The Curia Julia was spared destruction after being repurposed as the church of Sant’Adriano del Foro between AD 625 and 638 by Pope Honorius I. The only relic we have of the next 900 years of the building’s history are these medieval paintings dating to the 10th century. 

1532-1536

The oldest depiction of the building I can find after the coins is this sketch by the Dutch painter Maarten van Heemskerk done between 1532 and 1536. The side of the Curia can be seen on the far left of the sketch. The sketch shows that the original structure was still largely intact. Note that the Basilica Aemelia (located between the Curia and the Temple of Faustina) is already completely gone. This drawing also shows the sad reality of Rome in this period. Note the columns laid out in rows and the remains of kilns in the foreground. This shows the operation of breaking down the ancient marble to make lime mortar for use in other buildings. Who knows how many priceless pieces of art met their end in those kilns. It is a sad case of the great city cannibalizing itself.

1575

We next see the Curia in this engraving by French artist Étienne Dupérac in 1575. The original windows have been partially filled in with smaller windows and the marble facing is gone. Other than that the building is remarkably intact. It even still has its original bronze doors. The ground level of the forum has risen about 10-12 feet by this time due to the debris from collapsed buildings and floods from the Tiber. There is a retaining wall and stairs across the front of the building so that people can access the door at the original ground level.

1616

This engraving by Aloisio Giovannoli shows the facade of the building in credible detail as it appeared in 1616. We can see the ghosting on the facade from where a portico was built during the Middle Ages and how the window placement was modified from the original. The retaining wall along the front has been replaced by a rectangular shaped set of stairs that lead down to the original doors. Note that there are still no buildings to the right of the Curia where the Basilica Aemelia once stood.

1665

This sketch is a small part of a larger composition that showed the forum from a vantage point on top of the Arch of Titus. It was drawn by Lievin Cruyl in 1665. We can see over the last 50 years that this area of Rome underwent intense development. There are now buildings that span the previously open area between the Temple of Faustina and the Curia (i.e. over the ruins of the Basilica Aemelia). Around 1590 the Curia was given to the Spanish Order of Mercy. Under this order the building underwent a major remodel in 1654 [1]. The floor was raised 20 feet, the interior was vaulted and divided into three parts, and the buttresses we see in the sketch were added. The original Roman doors were moved to St. John the Lateran where they can still be seen to this day. 

1775

In this engraving by Giovanni Battista Piranesi from 1775 we see that the building looks very similar to the way it did in 1665. The surrounding forum, however, has continued to develop and we see that the facade of the church inside the Temple of Faustina was updated. We are fortunate that there were no such attempts to radically alter the facade of the Curia.

1834

This charming watercolor by Achille Pinelli shows the Curia in 1834. By the 19th century the original function of the building had been completely forgotten. It wasn’t until 1883 that the Curia Julia was positively identified. 

1864

This is the oldest photograph I’ve been able to find of the building. It agrees quite well with the watercolor from 1834.

1909

The mid to late 19th century saw some intense excavations to uncover the ruins of the Roman Forum down to the original ground level. After that Curia was positively identifiedi n the late 19th century, excavations started around the year 1900 uncovered the Curia building down to the original elevation. This left the door of the church hanging ludicrously in the air as you can see from the above photo.

1922 to Present

The Italian government purchased the building from the church in 1922. Over the next several decades an aggressive restoration project was undertaken that removed all church related modifications. The above photo shows the interior of the church ca. 1930 vs a representation of the original interior from the Imperial period.

A photo I took of the Curia and the area of the Comitium from the Palatine Hill in 2018. 

A Wonderful Provenance
I purchased this coin knowing only about the Marc Poncin provenance (anyone have information on this collector?).

The Walter Niggeler collection
Niggeler was born in northern Italy and moved to Switzerland where he studied at ETH Zurich. In Switzerland, he worked as an electrical engineer at Brown, Boveri & Cie. He became Chief Engineer of the energy conservation department from 1918 until his retirement in 1943. He collected coins from the late 1920s until his death in 1964 and put together an incredible collection. I’m very happy to have found this provenance and I hope to eventually be able to find a further provenance from where it was bought by Niggeler.

Achille Cantoni
Achille Cantoni was born on March 21, 1844 to a wealthy family of landowners in Mantua. In 1866 he fought in the Third War of Independence as a Garibaldi volunteer. He was an avid art collector and acted as a patron to many Italian art museums and institutions. He died in 1914 and the bulk of his collection was sold by P & P Santamaria in 1920.

References
[1] Bogin, Katherine, The Curia Julia: Its History, Materials, Use, and Preservation through the Centuries, University of Mary Washington, 2023

[2] Sutherland & Carlson, Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I, Spink Books, 2018 revised edition 

[3] Tameanko, Marvin; Monumental Coins: Buildings and Structures on Ancient Coins

 

…………………..…………..
 

If you are still with me after all of that please post your;

• Coins of Augustus.
• Coins related to the Roman senate (SC anyone?).
• Coins showing buildings that still exist.
• Coins from the Niggeler Collection.
• Coins you found a provenance for.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Curtisimo

[Ryro]

Beautiful coin, insane reverse, and awesome work finding your provenance!

Here are some of my Augustii:

 

[Julius Germanicus]

Awsome coin and writeup! I feel being inspired by your research and the historic pictures to build a Lego model of the Curia for my series of miniatures of ancient monuments 🙂.

[Ursus]

I very much enjoyed reading your write-up, Curtis. It's fascinating to see how the function, status and appearance  of the building changed over time. Also, that's a lovely coin with an important provenance.

Below are two coins showing Roman buildings that did actually exist but have not survived the centuries.

Shrine of Venus Cloacina (yes, ancient Rome had a goddess of the sewage system):

Roman Republic, moneyer: L. Mussidius Longus, AR denarius, 42 BC, Rome mint. Obv: Head of Concordia r., wearing veil; behind, CONCORDIA upwards. Rev: Shrine of Venus Cloacina with two statues, inscribed CLOACIN; above, L M[VSSID]IVS LONGVS. 17.5mm, 3.68g. Ref: RRC 494/2a.

 

Temple of Divus Augustus:

Antoninus Pius, Roman Empire, denarius, 145–161 AD, Rome mint. Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP, laureate head of Antoninus Pius r. Rev: TEMPLVM DIV AVG REST COS IIII; front view of octastyle temple, containing statues of Divus Augustus and Livia. 17mm, 2.62g. Ref: RIC III Antoninus Pius 143 (denarius).

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

What a great thread. Thank you.

[Limes]

Fantastic coin, lovely write up and the photos showing the Senate house over the years are very interesting! 

Below is my somewhat worn / flawed example. I believe the victory on the top of the Senate house is shown on the reverse of a coin of Augustus too (Ric 254). I dont have that one unfortunately. 

[Curtisimo]

16 hours ago, Ryro said:

Beautiful coin, insane reverse, and awesome work finding your provenance!

Here are some of my Augustii:

 

Wonderful Augustii Ryan! Is that second from the bottom also a JC portrait?

9 hours ago, Julius Germanicus said:

Awsome coin and writeup! I feel being inspired by your research and the historic pictures to build a Lego model of the Curia for my series of miniatures of ancient monuments 🙂.

Thank you @Julius Germanicus! I always love seeing your lego creations. Please keep us posted on how it turns out!

7 hours ago, Ursus said:

I very much enjoyed reading your write-up, Curtis. It's fascinating to see how the function, status and appearance  of the building changed over time. Also, that's a lovely coin with an important provenance.

Below are two coins showing Roman buildings that did actually exist but have not survived the centuries.

Shrine of Venus Cloacina (yes, ancient Rome had a goddess of the sewage system):

Roman Republic, moneyer: L. Mussidius Longus, AR denarius, 42 BC, Rome mint. Obv: Head of Concordia r., wearing veil; behind, CONCORDIA upwards. Rev: Shrine of Venus Cloacina with two statues, inscribed CLOACIN; above, L M[VSSID]IVS LONGVS. 17.5mm, 3.68g. Ref: RRC 494/2a.

 

Temple of Divus Augustus:

Antoninus Pius, Roman Empire, denarius, 145–161 AD, Rome mint. Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP, laureate head of Antoninus Pius r. Rev: TEMPLVM DIV AVG REST COS IIII; front view of octastyle temple, containing statues of Divus Augustus and Livia. 17mm, 2.62g. Ref: RIC III Antoninus Pius 143 (denarius).

Two wonderful coins my friend. The Cloaca Maxima is on my list for sure. I have an Antoninus Pius Divi Augustus example but I still need to photograph it.

I am actually planning a write up on that one. There has been a lot of speculation on where the temple was. One theory is that the Church of Santa Maria Antiqua is located in what was once a library built with in the temple complex.

Here are a few photos of that church from my trip a while back.

5 hours ago, Ancient Coin Hunter said:

What a great thread. Thank you.

Thanks @Ancient Coin Hunter! 🙂 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Curtisimo

[Curtisimo]

5 hours ago, Limes said:

Fantastic coin, lovely write up and the photos showing the Senate house over the years are very interesting! 

Below is my somewhat worn / flawed example. I believe the victory on the top of the Senate house is shown on the reverse of a coin of Augustus too (Ric 254). I dont have that one unfortunately. 

Great coin! I hope someone posts one of the Altar of Victory coins you mentioned. I actually considered targeting one of those as my representative Augustus due to the neat history and controversy that spans into the early Christian era. The struggle to keep the altar of Victory in the Curia is one of the last recorded acts of pushback by the pagans against the ascendant Christians.

Hopefully some here will post an example. 

[Qcumbor]

I lack words to accurately express how much I appreciate your writeups, and moreover the impeccable taste you have at selecting your coins acquisitions : interesting types, informative writeups, astounding provenances !!

Here's the temple of Romulus situated on the roman forum in Rome (not my picture)

 

And its depiction on a Romulus follis

Romulus, follis - Posthumous issue under the reign of his father Maxentius
Ostia mint, 1st officina, AD 309-310
DIVO ROMVLO N V BIS CONS, Bare head of Romulus right
AETERNAE MEMORIAE, Temple with domed roof surmounted by eagle, M OST P at exergue
7.35 gr
RCV # 15050 (550), Cohen #6, RIC VI # 34

 

And here's a denarius minted under the authority of Octavian one year prior to the OP's

Octavian, Denarius - Italian mint, possibly Rome, 31-30 BCE
Anepigraph, bare head of Octavian left
CAESAR - DIVI F, Victory standing right on globe, holding wreath
3.84 gr
Ref : HCRI # 408, RCV # 1552v, Cohen # 66, RIC # 255
The following comment is taken from CNG, sale 84 # 957 :
"Following his victory at Actium, Octavian ordered a golden statue of Victory, standing on a globe and holding a wreath and palm, to be set up on an altar in the Curia in Rome. This statue had been captured by the Romans from Pyrrhus in 272 BC, and it assumed a somewhat tutelary mystique, protecting the Roman state from dissolution. In AD 382, the emperor Gratian ordered its removal. Two years later, the senator and orator Symmachus urged Valentinian II to replace it, a request that was met with stiff opposition from the bishop of Milan, Ambrose. Though it was briefly returned to its place by the usurper Eugenius, it was again removed following his defeat. Petitions to Theodosius I for its subsequent replacement were refused, on grounds that the once-important symbol of the gods’ blessing on the Roman Empire was now nothing more than a piece of paganism"

Q

[Curtisimo]

9 hours ago, Qcumbor said:

I lack words to accurately express how much I appreciate your writeups, and moreover the impeccable taste you have at selecting your coins acquisitions : interesting types, informative writeups, astounding provenances !!

You are too kind my friend. 🙂 I am extremely happy that you enjoyed the write up. I was afraid you were confused by my long winded ramblings. 😉 🤪

9 hours ago, Qcumbor said:

And its depiction on a Romulus follis

Romulus, follis - Posthumous issue under the reign of his father Maxentius
Ostia mint, 1st officina, AD 309-310
DIVO ROMVLO N V BIS CONS, Bare head of Romulus right
AETERNAE MEMORIAE, Temple with domed roof surmounted by eagle, M OST P at exergue
7.35 gr
RCV # 15050 (550), Cohen #6, RIC VI # 34

This is an incredibly interesting architecture coin type! Yours is a great example Q. This one is on my list but I just haven’t found the right example yet.

9 hours ago, Qcumbor said:

And here's a denarius minted under the authority of Octavian one year prior to the OP's

Octavian, Denarius - Italian mint, possibly Rome, 31-30 BCE
Anepigraph, bare head of Octavian left
CAESAR - DIVI F, Victory standing right on globe, holding wreath
3.84 gr
Ref : HCRI # 408, RCV # 1552v, Cohen # 66, RIC # 255
The following comment is taken from CNG, sale 84 # 957 :
"Following his victory at Actium, Octavian ordered a golden statue of Victory, standing on a globe and holding a wreath and palm, to be set up on an altar in the Curia in Rome. This statue had been captured by the Romans from Pyrrhus in 272 BC, and it assumed a somewhat tutelary mystique, protecting the Roman state from dissolution. In AD 382, the emperor Gratian ordered its removal. Two years later, the senator and orator Symmachus urged Valentinian II to replace it, a request that was met with stiff opposition from the bishop of Milan, Ambrose. Though it was briefly returned to its place by the usurper Eugenius, it was again removed following his defeat. Petitions to Theodosius I for its subsequent replacement were refused, on grounds that the once-important symbol of the gods’ blessing on the Roman Empire was now nothing more than a piece of paganism"

What a fabulous coin! This truly is one of Octavian/Augustus’s most interesting coin types.

I wonder if the statue of Victory on top of the Curia (as shown on my OP example) was modeled on the famous altar of Victory statue like your coin?

Speaking of the Victory on top of the Curia building, it is particularly fascinating because it is possible that a piece of it was actually found. In the museum in Trajan’s Market there is a foot from a monumental statue of Victory that was found in the forum in front of the Curia in 1930. See below for my photos of it. I was going to mention it in my OP but it was already getting rather loooonnggg…. 🙂 

[Qcumbor]

15 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

🙂 I am extremely happy that you enjoyed the write up. I was afraid you were confused by my long winded ramblings. 😉 🤪

Oh, I see !!!

Sorry, that was just big finger on small emojis.  I corrected it to the appropriate one 🥵🥵

Q

[Al Kowsky]

On 10/15/2023 at 8:00 PM, Curtisimo said:

Roman Republic, Octavian 
AR Denarius, 30-29BC, Italian Mint
(21 mm, 11h, 3.54 g)
Obv.: Bare head right.
Rev.: Curia Julia with IMP CAESAR on architrave, at apex, Victory standing upon globe with warriors at the angles.
Ref.: RIC, 266; RSC, 122
Ex Walter Niggeler Collection (1878-1964), Munzen und Medaillen AG & Bank Leu AG, Sammlung Walter Niggeler 2 Teil, lot 1014 (October 21, 1966); Ex Marc Poncin Collection, CNG Mail Bid Sale 72, lot 1357 (June 14, 2006)

Over the last few years I have been working on a project to collect a representative series of interesting denarii from the time of Julius Caesar to the death of Severus Alexander. For this sub-collection I am looking for coins that are interesting for reasons that go beyond just the grade. You can read more about my progress on write ups below.

Curtisimo’s Imperial Denarii

Octavianus Unchallenged 
In 29 BC Octavian returned to Rome from the conquest of Egypt and the final defeat of Marcus Antonius (Marc Antony) and Cleopatra. He was 33 years old and in complete and unchallenged control of the Roman world. From a practical perspective, he was in much the same situation that his adoptive father, Julius Caesar, was in when he was in control of Rome from 49-44 BC.

Caesar was famously brazen in his display of power and in his attitude toward the senate. He chose to legitimize his position in the most unambiguous manner possible by having himself declared Dictator for Life in 44 BC. Octavian learned well the lesson of Caesar’s assassination and chose to formalize his legal position slowly, taking years to accumulate the package of powers that would make him as powerful on paper as his adoptive father had been. The reality, of course, is that after the defeat of Antony, Octavian (Augustus after 27 BC) was in charge.

The coins struck by Octavian between the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and the First Constitutional Settlement of 27 BC are my favorite because they show most clearly Octavian’s struggle to find balance between claiming glory for himself and being respectful of Republican traditions. This coin was struck in 29 BC to commemorate the opening of the Senate House (Curia Julia) attached to the forum that was begun by Julius Caesar.

On the obverse of this coin we see no legends proclaiming his titles or achievements. Just a modest portrait that is notably bare headed. Apparently, striking portrait coins showing a living Roman was no longer as taboo as it had been when Julius Caesar did it in 44 BC.

The reverse shows the newly built Senate House (the Curia Julia). The choice of this as a type, and the desire to rebuild the Curia in general, are emblematic of Octavian’s desire to court the good will of the Roman senate. It is ironic that one of Octavian’s first acts as undisputed leader was to dedicate a new building in honor of a group of people he had just definitively taken authority from.

The Curia Julia Through the Ages
I enjoy the fact that architecture coins are often the first representation of a building that has seen thousands of years of history. As such I’d like to do something a bit different and track the history of representations of this building starting with my new coin.

In Antiquity
The building was dedicated in August of 29 BC which was commemorated by the above coin. It was damaged by the fire of Nero in AD 64 and repaired by Domitian in AD 94 [1]. It was repaired again by Diocletian after it was damaged by a fire under Carinus in AD 283 [1]. In antiquity, the bricks we see today would have been covered by a marble facing.

The western Roman Empire fell in AD 476. However, the city’s fortunes really declined during the Gothic Wars of the mid 500s, particularly after the cutting of the aqueducts during the siege of Rome in AD 537. Rome’s population collapsed to about 30,000 people by AD 550 and most of the buildings would have been abandoned and left to decay.

Medieval Period

The Curia Julia was spared destruction after being repurposed as the church of Sant’Adriano del Foro between AD 625 and 638 by Pope Honorius I. The only relic we have of the next 900 years of the building’s history are these medieval paintings dating to the 10th century. 

1532-1536

The oldest depiction of the building I can find after the coins is this sketch by the Dutch painter Maarten van Heemskerk done between 1532 and 1536. The side of the Curia can be seen on the far left of the sketch. The sketch shows that the original structure was still largely intact. Note that the Basilica Aemelia (located between the Curia and the Temple of Faustina) is already completely gone. This drawing also shows the sad reality of Rome in this period. Note the columns laid out in rows and the remains of kilns in the foreground. This shows the operation of breaking down the ancient marble to make lime mortar for use in other buildings. Who knows how many priceless pieces of art met their end in those kilns. It is a sad case of the great city cannibalizing itself.

1575

We next see the Curia in this engraving by French artist Étienne Dupérac in 1575. The original windows have been partially filled in with smaller windows and the marble facing is gone. Other than that the building is remarkably intact. It even still has its original bronze doors. The ground level of the forum has risen about 10-12 feet by this time due to the debris from collapsed buildings and floods from the Tiber. There is a retaining wall and stairs across the front of the building so that people can access the door at the original ground level.

1616

This engraving by Aloisio Giovannoli shows the facade of the building in credible detail as it appeared in 1616. We can see the ghosting on the facade from where a portico was built during the Middle Ages and how the window placement was modified from the original. The retaining wall along the front has been replaced by a rectangular shaped set of stairs that lead down to the original doors. Note that there are still no buildings to the right of the Curia where the Basilica Aemelia once stood.

1665

This sketch is a small part of a larger composition that showed the forum from a vantage point on top of the Arch of Titus. It was drawn by Lievin Cruyl in 1665. We can see over the last 50 years that this area of Rome underwent intense development. There are now buildings that span the previously open area between the Temple of Faustina and the Curia (i.e. over the ruins of the Basilica Aemelia). Around 1590 the Curia was given to the Spanish Order of Mercy. Under this order the building underwent a major remodel in 1654 [1]. The floor was raised 20 feet, the interior was vaulted and divided into three parts, and the buttresses we see in the sketch were added. The original Roman doors were moved to St. John the Lateran where they can still be seen to this day. 

1775

In this engraving by Giovanni Battista Piranesi from 1775 we see that the building looks very similar to the way it did in 1665. The surrounding forum, however, has continued to develop and we see that the facade of the church inside the Temple of Faustina was updated. We are fortunate that there were no such attempts to radically alter the facade of the Curia.

1834

This charming watercolor by Achille Pinelli shows the Curia in 1834. By the 19th century the original function of the building had been completely forgotten. It wasn’t until 1883 that the Curia Julia was positively identified. 

1864

This is the oldest photograph I’ve been able to find of the building. It agrees quite well with the watercolor from 1834.

1909

The mid to late 19th century saw some intense excavations to uncover the ruins of the Roman Forum down to the original ground level. After that Curia was positively identified excavations around 1900 uncovered the building down to the original elevation which left the door of the church hanging ludicrously in the air.

1922 to Present

The Italian government purchased the building from the church in 1922. Over the next several decades an aggressive restoration project was undertaken that removed all church related modifications. The above photo shows the interior of the church ca. 1930 vs a representation of the original interior from the Imperial period.

A photo I took of the Curia and the area of the Comitium from the Palatine Hill in 2018. 

A Wonderful Provenance
I purchased this coin knowing only about the Marc Poncin provenance (anyone have information on this collector?).

I happily discovered later that this coin was once in the famous Walter Niggeler collection. Niggeler was born in northern Italy and moved to Switzerland where he studied at ETH Zurich and then went to work as an electrical engineer at Brown, Boveri & Cie. He later became Chief Engineer of the energy conservation department from 1918 until his retirement in 1943. He collected coins from the late 1920s until his death in 1964 and put together an incredible collection. I’m very happy to have found this provenance and I hope to eventually be able to find a further provenance from where it was bought by Niggeler.

References
[1] Bogin, Katherine, The Curia Julia: Its History, Materials, Use, and Preservation through the Centuries, University of Mary Washington, 2023

[2] Sutherland & Carlson, Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I, Spink Books, 2018 revised edition 

[3] Tameanko, Marvin; Monumental Coins: Buildings and Structures on Ancient Coins

 

…………………..…………..
 

If you are still with me after all of that please post your;

• Coins of Augustus.
• Coins related to the Roman senate (SC anyone?).
• Coins showing buildings that still exist.
• Coins from the Niggeler Collection.
• Coins you found a provenance for.

Excellent presentation & lovely coin 🤩!

[Al Kowsky]

I auctioned the coin pictured below a long time ago, it was the best portrait of Augustus that went through my hands ☺️.

      

 

[thejewk]

Great write up and lovely coin. It is a big regret of mine that I discovered a love for ancient history only after my health had already prevented me from doing any travelling. 

When I read about different important cities, see monuments on coins, read of battles, I itch to go and have a look myself!

[JayAg47]

This would be my most significant issue of Augustus, that actually portrays the deified Julius Caesar. 

This denarius was minted under Augustus celebrating the Secular games (Ludi Saeculares) in 17 BC.

Obv: M SANQVINIVS (moneyer) III VIR, youthful laureate head of the deified Julius Caesar right, above, a comet with four rays and a tail.

Rev: AVGVST DIVI F LVDOS SAE, herald or ludius standing left, wearing long robe reaching to ankles and helmet with two long feathers, and holding winged caduceus upright in right hand and round shield with a six pointed star.

2.48g, 17 mm. RIC 340; BMCRE 70; RSC (Julius Caesar) 6; BN 273-4; FFC 4.

In the book Natural History, Pliny the Elder talks about how this comet signified a new era when it appeared during the games held in honour of Venus Genetrix, the patron deity of the Julii, and how this event cemented the notion of Augustus claiming himself the 'son of god' or DIVI FILIVS. In the book he quoted Augustus saying "On the very days of my games a comet was visible for seven days in the northern region of the sky. It used to raise about an hour before the dark and was bright and visible from all lands. The general populace believed that this signified Caesar's soul received among the spirits of the immortal gods, and this gave rise to the addition of a star to the bust of Caesar that we dedicated soon after in the forum". 

[Restitutor]

3 hours ago, Al Kowsky said:

I auctioned the coin pictured below a long time ago, it was the best portrait of Augustus that went through my hands ☺️.

      

 

Funny, my best Augustus portrait coin is the same one! 😄 Those Antiochian mint workers were true artists. 

[DonnaML]

I just noticed this thread today, @Curtisimo -- wow! Beautiful coin, and applause for all the research and illustrations. More than worthy of being our first featured post! I haven't been to Rome since the summer of 2008 when I went with my son, long before I began actively collecting Roman coins. I'm afraid what I recall most vividly about the Forum was the incredible heat, and trying to hide from the sun under a very spindly tree! But I do think I remember that particular building. 

I don't have many coins of Augustus (they tend to be rather expensive), but here are my three favorites: a denarius, a cistophorus, and a COL NEM dupondius.

I would post my M. Volteius denarius depicting the Capitoline Temple again -- the first Roman coin to depict a temple -- but, unfortunately, the Temple no longer exists. How about Trajan's Column? Does that count as a building?

An old print, one of a number I bought in Rome:

Edited October 18, 2023 by DonnaML

[Octavius]

Absolutely terrific write up about the intriguing history of the Curia. Makes me want to go back and take another look.

Here is a selection of some early coins of Octavian...

1. Octavian AR denarius, 32-27 BC, 3.80gm, struck 29-27 BC in uncertain Italian mint (Brundisium? Rome?), 21.3mm.  Obv: Bare head right.  Rev: Ithyphallic boundary-stone of Jupiter Terminus, surmounted by laureate head of Octavian facing; winged thunderbolt below; IMP CAESAR across fields.  RIC 269a; CRI 425; RSC 114. 

2. denarius with Curia reverse...

3. denarius with Pax on reverse holding olive branch and cornucopia ...

4. reverse with quadriga on triumphal arch...

5. reverse of Victory on globe...

6. denarius of Octavian with mourning beard in honor of his posthumously adoptive father Julius Caesar...

[Curtisimo]

On 10/17/2023 at 7:34 AM, Al Kowsky said:

I auctioned the coin pictured below a long time ago, it was the best portrait of Augustus that went through my hands ☺️.

      

 

What a beautiful coin of incredible style! I also love the Tyche of Antioch reverse.

Thank you for the kind words, Al. 🙂 

On 10/17/2023 at 8:02 AM, thejewk said:

Great write up and lovely coin. It is a big regret of mine that I discovered a love for ancient history only after my health had already prevented me from doing any travelling. 

When I read about different important cities, see monuments on coins, read of battles, I itch to go and have a look myself!

Thank you so much for the kind words. I am sorry to hear that you’ve been unable to travel as you would like. One of the great things about collecting the coins though is that you can establish a tangible connection with the past without ever leaving home.

Some of my favorite coins are from places I couldn’t visit if I wanted to either because the ancient place has never been found, doesn’t exist anymore, or it’s unsafe to visit currently.

On 10/17/2023 at 10:16 AM, JayAg47 said:

This would be my most significant issue of Augustus, that actually portrays the deified Julius Caesar. 

This denarius was minted under Augustus celebrating the Secular games (Ludi Saeculares) in 17 BC.

Obv: M SANQVINIVS (moneyer) III VIR, youthful laureate head of the deified Julius Caesar right, above, a comet with four rays and a tail.

Rev: AVGVST DIVI F LVDOS SAE, herald or ludius standing left, wearing long robe reaching to ankles and helmet with two long feathers, and holding winged caduceus upright in right hand and round shield with a six pointed star.

2.48g, 17 mm. RIC 340; BMCRE 70; RSC (Julius Caesar) 6; BN 273-4; FFC 4.

In the book Natural History, Pliny the Elder talks about how this comet signified a new era when it appeared during the games held in honour of Venus Genetrix, the patron deity of the Julii, and how this event cemented the notion of Augustus claiming himself the 'son of god' or DIVI FILIVS. In the book he quoted Augustus saying "On the very days of my games a comet was visible for seven days in the northern region of the sky. It used to raise about an hour before the dark and was bright and visible from all lands. The general populace believed that this signified Caesar's soul received among the spirits of the immortal gods, and this gave rise to the addition of a star to the bust of Caesar that we dedicated soon after in the forum". 

Very cool Secular Games coin Jay!

On 10/17/2023 at 10:41 AM, Restitutor said:

Funny, my best Augustus portrait coin is the same one! 😄 Those Antiochian mint workers were true artists. 

Fantastic coin! Also, thank you for adding the Feature function. I’m honored to have the first featured topic. 🙂 

On 10/17/2023 at 1:35 PM, DonnaML said:

I just noticed this thread today, @Curtisimo -- wow! Beautiful coin, and applause for all the research and illustrations. More than worthy of being our first featured post! I haven't been to Rome since the summer of 2008 when I went with my son, long before I began actively collecting Roman coins. I'm afraid what I recall most vividly about the Forum was the incredible heat, and trying to hide from the sun under a very spindly tree! But I do think I remember that particular building. 

I don't have many coins of Augustus (they tend to be rather expensive), but here are my three favorites: a denarius, a cistophorus, and a COL NEM dupondius.

I would post my M. Volteius denarius depicting the Capitoline Temple again -- the first Roman coin to depict a temple -- but, unfortunately, the Temple no longer exists. How about Trajan's Column? Does that count as a building?

An old print, one of a number I bought in Rome:

Trajan’s column absolutely counts as a building! One of the coolest buildings/monuments to survive from antiquity in my opinion. I’ve had my eye out for an example for years but have never pulled the trigger on one. Finding an example that ticks all the boxes is surprisingly difficult. Yours is wonderful! I like the toning. Is that engraving from your collection as well? I know you have some nice antiquarian books.

Thank you for sharing.

I’m also glad you posted a Nemausus Croc. If a person were to pick a representative coin of Augustus’ reign this would be a contender. Here is mine.

14 hours ago, Octavius said:

Absolutely terrific write up about the intriguing history of the Curia. Makes me want to go back and take another look.

Here is a selection of some early coins of Octavian...

1. Octavian AR denarius, 32-27 BC, 3.80gm, struck 29-27 BC in uncertain Italian mint (Brundisium? Rome?), 21.3mm.  Obv: Bare head right.  Rev: Ithyphallic boundary-stone of Jupiter Terminus, surmounted by laureate head of Octavian facing; winged thunderbolt below; IMP CAESAR across fields.  RIC 269a; CRI 425; RSC 114. 

2. denarius with Curia reverse...

3. denarius with Pax on reverse holding olive branch and cornucopia ...

4. reverse with quadriga on triumphal arch...

5. reverse of Victory on globe...

6. denarius of Octavian with mourning beard in honor of his posthumously adoptive father Julius Caesar...

What a jaw dropping collection of Octavian… If I were to ever focus in on one emperor or period for my collection I have always thought that Augustus and Trajan would be the most interesting from a coin types perspective.

The divine Julius is a stand out, so are the portraits on your Victory and Herm examples. These are all wonderful though. Thank you for sharing them and for your kind words. 🙂 

[DonnaML]

1 hour ago, Curtisimo said:

Is that engraving from your collection as well? I know you have some nice antiquarian books.

Yes it is. It's on the wall in the room my son uses when he's here, along with a few of the other prints we picked out when we were in Rome 15 years ago. I've forgotten how old the first two are, but I'm pretty sure they're originals from quite a long time ago.

Edited October 18, 2023 by DonnaML

[DonnaML]

My favorite among all the photos I took on that trip:

[Curtisimo]

1 hour ago, DonnaML said:

Yes it is. It's on the wall in the room my son uses when he's here, along with a few of the other prints we picked out when we were in Rome 15 years ago. I've forgotten how old the first two are, but I'm pretty sure they're originals from quite a long time ago.

Those are all great. I enjoy seeing other coin collector’s related collections of antiquities, books and sketches/engravings. I have built up a respectable library over the years but I don’t really have much in the way of antiquarian books or engravings.

1 hour ago, DonnaML said:

My favorite among all the photos I took on that trip:

What a great photo of what I am sure is a great memory. My little one is approaching 6 months old and I am already looking forward to taking him on trips like this someday.

[Sulla80]

@Curtisimo, a beautiful coin and excellent write-up!  The images of the Curia Julia over the years are fun to browse.  Here is an AI imagined scene of Roman Senators in the Curia Julia looking toward the Roman emperor standing on a platform.

along with Augustus as drawn by an ancient Roman die engraver ~2008 years ago, struck shortly shortly after the death of the emperor by his adopted son Tiberius.

Divus Augustus, died AD 14, Æ As (27.5mm, 10.96 g, 12h), Rome mint, struck under Tiberius, circa AD 15-16

Obv: DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER, radiate head of Augustus left; star above, thunderbolt to left

Rev: Female figure (Livia or Pietas) seated right, holding patera and scepter, S. C.

Ref: RIC I 72 (Tiberius)

Edited October 19, 2023 by Sulla80

[Curtisimo]

1 hour ago, Sulla80 said:

@Curtisimo, a beautiful coin and excellent write-up!  The images of the Curia Julia over the years are fun to browse.  Here is an AI imagined scene of Roman Senators in the Curia Julia looking toward the Roman emperor standing on a platform.

Wow! This picture is just in time for Halloween. Apparently AI thinks the Roman senate met in the Curia of Silent Hill… super creepy! 🙂 

1 hour ago, Sulla80 said:

along with Augustus as drawn by an ancient Roman die engraver ~2008 years ago, struck shortly shortly after the death of the emperor by his adopted son Tiberius.

Divus Augustus, died AD 14, Æ As (27.5mm, 10.96 g, 12h), Rome mint, struck under Tiberius, circa AD 15-16

Obv: DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER, radiate head of Augustus left; star above, thunderbolt to left

Rev: Female figure (Livia or Pietas) seated right, holding patera and scepter, S. C.

Ref: RIC I 72 (Tiberius)

Wonderful coin @Sulla80!

[Heliodromus]

On 10/15/2023 at 8:00 PM, Curtisimo said:

The ground level of the forum has risen about 10-12 feet by this time due to the debris from collapsed buildings and floods from the Tiber. There is a retaining wall and stairs across the front of the building so that people can access the door at the original ground level.

 

It seems surprising how much higher the modern ground level had risen since late roman times, quite dramatically depicted in that Batista engraving where the arch of Septimius is still half buried. Kudos to Mussolni for finally excavating much of Rome back to original level !

I wonder if there is any proof that flooding by the Tiber is largely responsible? (I recently watched a toldinstone video where he cites this same reason as one cause). It seems that most/all archaeological sites are buried, perhaps some more that others, so accumulated dust/debris is presumably generally to blame, although local factors such as flooding may have contributed too. I wonder how consistent depth vs age is for sites over the last couple of millennia ?

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by Heliodromus