What is the final coin of the Roman Empire to feature Augustus on it?

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

This rather simple answer seems to have some complexity to it. What is the final coin of the Roman Empire to feature Augustus on it? 

Augustus, that noble first emperor of Rome, is famous for his prodigious and revolutionary use of numismatics. After his death, he was honored as God and featured on many coins across the empire as the Divvs Augustus. As time passed, however, numismatic invocations for aid from Caesar Octavianus decreased. Famous examples include the Divvs series of Antoninianii struck under Trajan Decius, including those honoring Augustus.

(An example of the general series, itself featuring some variation. Circa 249-251)

After the rather voluminous amount of issues minted during Decius’ reign, representations of Augustus on coinage seemingly all but vanish. I know of an aureus type minted under Gallienus that invokes the god Augustus with the legend DEO AUGUSTO.

 

(C 148. RIC 28. Göbl pl. 45, 530. Calicó 3476 (this reverse die))    Gallienus sole reign, circa 260-268

After this issue though, it would seem that depictions of Augustus on Roman coinage cease. Were one to include the contorniates in a such a discussion, then another type in the fourth century features the Divine Father Augustus (DIVVUS AUGUSTUS PATER). Likely more contorniate types feature Augustus, but I can not verify as I do not own Alfoldi at this time.

(Alföldi, Kontorniat 122, pl. 41, 12 (this coin))       Anonymous, circa end of the fourth century

Given the likely unofficial origins of such “coinage”, it would seem that the last official numismatic depiction of Augustus on a coin occurred under Gallienus. Contorniates, as exonummia, depicted Augustus alongside other famous Greeks and Romans up until the fifth century. Is there a later type than this Gallienus Aureus that I have missed in my search to find the last Roman Coin depicting Augustus?

Edited March 21 by TheTrachyEnjoyer

[DonnaML]

Interesting question. I had no idea that there were any as late as Gallienus. (Not counting contorniates, tesserae, "tokens," etc.) 

A related question: does anyone know what the latest Roman coin was to portray any pagan deity? I suspect that it was probably some 5th century coin depicting Nike/Victory, but haven't tried to research the subject.

[Ryro]

Nice coins! This seems outside of your scope of collecting. Are they yours?

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

On 3/22/2024 at 1:49 AM, DonnaML said:

Interesting question. I had no idea that there were any as late as Gallienus. (Not counting contorniates, tesserae, "tokens," etc.) 

A related question: does anyone know what the latest Roman coin was to portray any pagan deity? I suspect that it was probably some 5th century coin depicting Nike/Victory, but haven't tried to research the subject.

The Romans/Byzantines minted coins with the pagan deity Victory up to the first year of the reign of Heraclius. While its sometimes interpreted as an Angel, the issue shares similar motifs and context with roman coins going back for over half a millennium (and would so seem to be pagan to me). Beyond this early issue of the 7th century, I am no aware of any later coinage with pagan iconography 

Edited March 23 by TheTrachyEnjoyer

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

On 3/22/2024 at 3:59 AM, Ryro said:

Nice coins! This seems outside of your scope of collecting. Are they yours?

Ive been researching some on the decline of certain iconographic elements on coinage. Byzantine coinage is so different yet connected, I am curious as to the gradual changes that completely shifted numismatics designs and whether this was intentional transition or the result of a gradual shift

[Roman Collector]

On 3/21/2024 at 6:49 PM, DonnaML said:

Interesting question. I had no idea that there were any as late as Gallienus. (Not counting contorniates, tesserae, "tokens," etc.) 

A related question: does anyone know what the latest Roman coin was to portray any pagan deity? I suspect that it was probably some 5th century coin depicting Nike/Victory, but haven't tried to research the subject.

Other than Victory -- which seems to have been acceptable to the early Christians in authority -- I think the last Roman deity to be portrayed was Venus on the reverse of Galeria Valeria. 

[JAZ Numismatics]

54 minutes ago, Roman Collector said:

Other than Victory -- which seems to have been acceptable to the early Christians in authority -- I think the last Roman deity to be portrayed was Venus on the reverse of Galeria Valeria. 

Huh? Valeria was empress from 305 to 311. After her came a whole slew of Tetrarchical and Constantinian types with Jupiter, Sol (sometimes holding Serapis' head), and occasionally Mars. That's off the top of my head. There's probably more.

[Heliodromus]

On 3/21/2024 at 8:49 PM, DonnaML said:

Interesting question. I had no idea that there were any as late as Gallienus. (Not counting contorniates, tesserae, "tokens," etc.) 

A related question: does anyone know what the latest Roman coin was to portray any pagan deity? I suspect that it was probably some 5th century coin depicting Nike/Victory, but haven't tried to research the subject.

Isis appeared on the Festival of Isis types (tokens, not coins) as late as Gratian, and then continuing a while on the anonymous ones without imperial obverse.

The temple of Isis in Ostia was also restored c.375-378 by Valens, Valentinian & Gratian (per an inscripton), despite Gratian being anti-pagan, so isis was evidentially regarded a bit differently - maybe due to her role as protector of sailors.

 

[Roman Collector]

54 minutes ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

Huh? Valeria was empress from 305 to 311. After her came a whole slew of Tetrarchical and Constantinian types with Jupiter, Sol (sometimes holding Serapis' head), and occasionally Mars. That's off the top of my head. There's probably more.

I stand corrected. I was thinking specifically of the last depiction of Venus, not of the last depiction of Roman deities as a whole. Thanks for the info.