Augustus' Triumph

[Sulla80]

This coin from the reign of Augustus ~18 BC, is from an undetermined mint in Spain. (Colonia Patricia? or Tarraco? or less likely Nemausus in Gaul?)

It celebrates Augustus' diplomatic success of retrieving the legionary standards of Rome that were lost by Crassus to the Parthians.

 

More on this coin here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/triumphs-of-augustus

Post your early coins of Augustus, Coins of Phraates IV or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.

 

Edited November 16, 2024 by Sulla80

[expat]

Nice coin @Sulla80 and referring to a poignant part od History.

Colonial coin under Augustas who founded the city as Caesaraugusta between 25 BC and 11 BC as a colony to settle army veterans from the Cantabrian wars. As a Roman city, it had all the typical public buildings: forum, baths, theatre, and was an important economic centre. Many Roman ruins can still be seen in Zaragoza today.
The Etymology is as follows. The Iberian town that preceded Roman colonisation was called Salduie or Salduba. The Romans and Greeks called the ancient city Caesaraugusta (in Greek Καισαραυγοῦστα from which derive the Arabic name سرقسطة Saraqusṭa (used during the Al-Andalus period), the medieval Çaragoça, and the modern Zaragoza.
AUGUSTUS. Æ. As. (Caesaraugusta, Zaragoza, Spain) 25-11 BC
Magistrates: Gnaeus Domitius Ampianus, Gaius Vettius Lancianus
Obverse: IMP. AVGVSTVS. TRIB. POTS. XX., laureate head of Augustus to the right.
Reverse: CAES. AVGVS (clockwise from 10-1). CN. DOM. AMP. C. VET. LANC (anti clockwise from 8-2). Priest ploughing with pair of oxen to the right. Below II (with horizontal line above) VIR. (*)
RPC volume I, #320
Leaded bronze,12.85g. 31mm. Reference: Vives 148–10, GMI 328, Beltrán 16, NAH 982, AB. 327.
* Taken from forumancient coins; II VIR One of two Roman officers or magistrates united in the same public functions (one of two (duumviri of a duumvirate). The title written as II VIR, appears on provincial and colonial coinage when dumvir was the title of the highest officials of the city. The office was held in much consideration during the Republic, as well for the power it conferred, as on account of its antiquity, the creation of the duumviri being referred to a period so far back as the reign of Tullus Hostillius.

[Parthicus]

Here's a denarius of Augustus with reverse of Signis Receptis (Standards Received), which refers to the return of the standards:

A denarius of Phraates IV (38-2 BCE), doing his best to look intimidating:

During the negotiations, part of the gifts sent to Phraates was a beautiful and cunning slave girl named Musa.  Starting out as a concubine, she worked her way up to favored wife and bore him a son, Phraatakes.  In 2 BCE, with help from his mother, Phraatakes killed his father and seized the throne.  Some time after this, Phraatakes married Musa, which definitely raised some eyebrows among the Parthian nobles; while brother-sister marriages were not unusual among the Parthian kings (similar to the Pharaohs of Egypt), mother-son was just taking it too far. In 4 CE the pair were overthrown and killed.  This scarce drachm shows both mother and son:

 

[Limes]

19 hours ago, Sulla80 said:

This coin from the reign of Augustus ~18 BC, is from an undetermined mint in Spain. (Colonia Patricia? or Tarraco? or less likely Nemausus in Gaul?)

It celebrates Augustus' diplomatic success of retrieving the legionary standards of Rome that were lost by Crassus to the Parthians.

 

More on this coin here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/triumphs-of-augustus

Post your early coins of Augustus, Coins of Phraates IV or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.

 

Great addition! I really like this issue, and am fond of the one in my collection. It's a bit off center, but at that time I had a good deal on it. The toning has developed too, turning it into a very appealing issue.

Augustus
27 BC - 14 AD
Denarius, 18mm, 3.81 gr 
Uncertain Spanish mint (Colonia Patricia?), 18 BC
Obv: S· P· Q· R· PARENT CONS SVO, Toga picta over tunica palmata between aquila on the left and wreath on the right
Rev: CAESARI AVGVSTO, Triumphal quadriga right, ornamented with two Victories and surmounted by four miniature galloping horses
Ref: RIC 99, Sear 1604, Van Meter 55, Clive Foss 52
Ex: MITRA NUMISMATIC, 2018; ex Leu Web Auction 5, 2018

The obverse depicts the elaborate regalia (ornamenta triumphalia) of a successful general awarded to him on the occasion of his procession through the streets of Rome as triumphator. The toga picta was an elaborate dress based on the attire of the Etruscan kings and is shown being worn over the tunica palmata, a tunic decorated with representations of palm leaves. On either side are seen a legionary eagle, symbolic of the Roman army, and a triumphal wreath, or corona triumphalis. This was worn by the triumphator as he paraded through the streets of the capital in the elaborately adorned chariot which is depicted on the reverse. In 19 BC, Augustus returned to Rome after a three-year absence in Greece and Asia; this reverse type may then relate to the celebration of Rome's recent military and diplomatic successes, namely Tiberius' activities in Armenia and the recovery of the standards the Parthians had captured from Crassus in 53 BC.

[Sulla80]

1 hour ago, Limes said:

Great addition! I really like this issue, and am fond of the one in my collection. It's a bit off center, but at that time I had a good deal on it. The toning has developed too, turning it into a very appealing issue.

Augustus
27 BC - 14 AD
Denarius, 18mm, 3.81 gr 
Uncertain Spanish mint (Colonia Patricia?), 18 BC
Obv: S· P· Q· R· PARENT CONS SVO, Toga picta over tunica palmata between aquila on the left and wreath on the right
Rev: CAESARI AVGVSTO, Triumphal quadriga right, ornamented with two Victories and surmounted by four miniature galloping horses
Ref: RIC 99, Sear 1604, Van Meter 55, Clive Foss 52
Ex: MITRA NUMISMATIC, 2018; ex Leu Web Auction 5, 2018

The obverse depicts the elaborate regalia (ornamenta triumphalia) of a successful general awarded to him on the occasion of his procession through the streets of Rome as triumphator. The toga picta was an elaborate dress based on the attire of the Etruscan kings and is shown being worn over the tunica palmata, a tunic decorated with representations of palm leaves. On either side are seen a legionary eagle, symbolic of the Roman army, and a triumphal wreath, or corona triumphalis. This was worn by the triumphator as he paraded through the streets of the capital in the elaborately adorned chariot which is depicted on the reverse. In 19 BC, Augustus returned to Rome after a three-year absence in Greece and Asia; this reverse type may then relate to the celebration of Rome's recent military and diplomatic successes, namely Tiberius' activities in Armenia and the recovery of the standards the Parthians had captured from Crassus in 53 BC.

Completely agree - a lovely coin with nice toning and compelling history, @Limes, the detailed depiction of the toga picta is a highlight for me on this issue.

Edited November 17, 2024 by Sulla80

[Sulla80]

14 hours ago, Parthicus said:

Here's a denarius of Augustus with reverse of Signis Receptis (Standards Received), which refers to the return of the standards:

A denarius of Phraates IV (38-2 BCE), doing his best to look intimidating:

During the negotiations, part of the gifts sent to Phraates was a beautiful and cunning slave girl named Musa.  Starting out as a concubine, she worked her way up to favored wife and bore him a son, Phraatakes.  In 2 BCE, with help from his mother, Phraatakes killed his father and seized the throne.  Some time after this, Phraatakes married Musa, which definitely raised some eyebrows among the Parthian nobles; while brother-sister marriages were not unusual among the Parthian kings (similar to the Pharaohs of Egypt), mother-son was just taking it too far. In 4 CE the pair were overthrown and killed.  This scarce drachm shows both mother and son:

 

Great coins @Parthicus, Musa definitely a long time on my wishlist!

[Roman Collector]

One coin of Augustus that I find interesting is this provincial from Amphipolis because I can identify it as a die match to the specimen in the British Museum from a LINE DRAWING! 😮

Augustus, 27 BCE - 14 CE.
Roman provincial AE 23.3 mm, 10.25 g, 1 h.
Macedon, Amphipolis, 27 BCE - 14 CE.
Obv: ΚΑΙΣΑΡ ΘΕΟΥ ΥΙΟΣ, bare head, right.
Rev: ΑΜΦΙΠΟΛΙΕΙΤΩΝ, Artemis Tauropolos with inflated veil, riding on bull galloping right.
Refs: RPC I, 1626; BMC 5,52,73; Sear GIC 29.

Here is the listing in BMC:

Note that the coin is a obverse (and possibly double) die-match to the BMC specimen, on the basis of the line-drawing! You don't need to see the photo of the coin in the British Museum collection to see that, because the line drawing is so accurate.

Note how the ΥΥΙΟΣ in the obverse inscription, particularly the close proximity of the iota and omicron, matches the example in the line drawing. Note also how the IΣAP at the end of ΚΑΙΣΑΡ behind the bust matches my coin:

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

It's a very nice example of a desirable type!

[Qcumbor]

On 11/16/2024 at 6:10 PM, Sulla80 said:

 

The type has been on my list for quite a while now, and I've missed quite a bunch at auctions (shy bidding on my part I guess 😞 ). That's beautiful !

Here's something celebrating a victory 

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