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Silver Denarius - Æ 18-19 mm - 5 grams - Die axis 11:00 - RIC 208 -
Struck AD between 2BC-AD14. |
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| 1. |
CAESAR AVGVS[TVS DIVI
F] PATER PATRIAE (Caesar Augustus Divi Filius Pater Patriae - Caesar
Augustus, Son of the Divine (Julius), Father of the Country). Laureate head of
Augustus facing right. |
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| 2 |
[C L CAESARES AVGV]STI
F COS DESII PRINC IVV[ENT] (Caius Lucius Caesares Augusti Filii Consules
Designati Principes Iuventutis - C &L Caesar, sons of Augustus, consuls elect,
first among the youth). Gaius and Lucius, both in Toga, as Caesars standing facing, shield
and spears between them; between the spears in the center the Simpulum (left) and
Lituus (right), both turned inward, can be seen. |
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DESII should have been DESIG, the fault can have originated from lack of space. According to the 'net some of these coins have been struck in Lugdunum (Lyons !).
Then in 27 bc, Octavian had won the civil war and became officially First Citizen and 'Augustus'.
After restoring the state to the Senate and the people in 27 bc though he did not immediately restore
its right to issue coins until in 23 bc when the Roman mint was reopened.
In 15 bc Augustus allowed an Imperial mint to strike Aureii and Denarii. This Mint was in Lugdunum,
(Lyons, France). The mint in Rome continued to strike base metal coins and therefore since then only
copper / bronze coins have the text SC (Senatus Consulta – with consent of the senate). After 12 BC
moneyers ceased to appear on the bronze coins. Clearly there must have been a good reason for this,
but one we don't know (yet).
Gaius died AD 2, Lucius AD 4. Augustus was then forced (?) to accept Tiberius as his heir.
The minting dates of 2 BC - AD 14 is given by coin merchants. Though it's beyond me why he
should keep on minting for such a long time after the loss of his favorites (i.e. an indirect
insult to Tibby). The bust on my coin is seen as particulalry small, did not everybody like the
children lover ? Or was this just to have the full bust in full view ? Was stories one can think of
: a slave thrown out of the house of Augustus ending up as coincarver carving busts of his Emperor
as small as he dared ... Let's go write that book !
This is, together with my silver Marcus Aurelius, my first coin I bought. I still like it
very much and find it incredible to believe that after two thousand years one can still be
the owner of such an important history maker.
Obv. : Good but worn, LP - Rev. : Good but worn, LP. |
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