|
The Triumvirs. Octavian. Autumn 31-summer 30 BC. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.63 g, 11h). Uncertain mint in Italy (Rome?). Winged bust of Victory right / Octavian, as Neptune, standing left, foot set on globe, holding apluster and scepter. CRI 409; RIC I 256; RSC 60. Toned, scrape on obverse, hairlines. Good Fine.
When Julius Caesar and his legions crossed the Rubicon in 49 BC he unleashed a struggle for control of the Roman Empire that would last for 18 long years. From conspirators to pirates to clashes between triumvirs, the empire had endured endless warfare, unrest and uncertainty. It was not until Octavian and Agrippa defeated the naval forces of Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium that Rome could finally hope to return to civility, normal trade, and the restoration of what life was like before this era began.
Perhaps no one took better advantage of the propaganda value of coinage than Octavian, soon to be renamed Augustus. The designs of the denarius shown here represent propaganda at both its simplest and at its finest. Having decisively and completely defeated Antony and Cleopatra’s naval forces, Octavian could now claim total victory (obverse) and definitively state that he was the sole master of the world (reverse). Anyone seeing this coin type, literate or not, would have no doubt as to its meaning. Adding that he was the son of the now deified Julius Caesar (the son of a God) was just icing on the cake.
Closing Date and Time: 18 March 2026 at 12:51:40 ET.
All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.
|
