Roman Imperial Coins

Lot # 390 - Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD). AR Denarius, 12 BC. Obv. AVGVSTVS DIVI F. Bare head right. Rev. IMP XI. Capricorn right, holding globe. RIC I (2nd ed.) 174. AR. 4.03 g. 18 mm. Golden hues. Irregular flan. About EF/EF. The depiction of Capricorn on the reverse of this denarius holds significant astrological and symbolic meaning for Emperor Augustus. While his birth sign was Libra, Augustus closely associated himself with Capricorn, the sign under which he was conceived. In Roman astrology, this connection was seen as a potent symbol of his destined rise to power. Capricorn, symbolizing stability, prosperity, and divine favor, became an emblem of Augustus’ imperial authority. By featuring it on his coinage, Augustus reinforced the image of his reign as one guided by fate and the gods, securing his legitimacy as the ruler of Rome.

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Artemide LXII

Lot # 389 - Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD). AR Denarius. Lugdunum mint. Obv. AVGVSTVS DIVI F. Bare head left. Rev. IMP X / SICIL. Diana, in tunic, standing at angle to left, leaning right hand on spear and holding bow in left; dog left. RIC I (2nd ed.) 173B. AR. 3.84 g. 20 mm. R. Rare. Irrelevant light scuff on the neck. Well centred with cabinet tone. Good VF. This issue was minted to celebrate Augustus' reconquest of Sicily after the ouster of Sextus Pompeus. Augustus attributed his good fortune to Dianum Sicilae, venerated in the Artemisium near Mylas (Milazzo), where Sextus Pompeus was defeated.

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Artemide LXII

Lot # 388 - Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD). AR Denarius, Lugdunum mint, 15 BC. Obv. AVGVSTVS DIVI F. Bare head right. Rev. Bull butting right; in exergue, IMP•X. RIC I (2nd ed.) 167a. AR. 3.79 g. 20 mm. Delicate patina with a hint of iridescence. Area of weak strike on obverse. Irregular flan otherwise. good EF.

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Artemide LXII

Lot # 387 - Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD). AR Denarius. Uncertain Spanish mint (Colonia Patricia?), c. 19 BC. Obv. CAESAR AVGVSTVS. Bare head left. Rev. SIGNIS-RECEPTIS. Mars Ultor standing half-left, head facing, his chlamys tied round his waist, holding aquila (Roman eagle) and signum. RIC I (2nd ed.) 81; RSC 262. AR. 3.78 g. 20.5 mm. R. Rare and well centred, nicely toned with iridescent hues. Banker's mark on reverse. Good VF. The Spanish mint issue of 19 BC celebrates in the legend the Roman victory over the Parthians and the return of the insignia lost by Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC.

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Artemide LXII

Lot # 386 - Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD). AR Denarius, 19-18 BC. Obv. CAESAR AVGVSTVS. Oak-wreathed head right. Rev. DIVVS IVLIVS. Comet with eight rays and tail. RIC I (2nd ed.) 37A. AR. 3.85 g. 19 mm. Banker's mark on reverse. A bold portrait in fine style. Light golden tone. About EF. A comet that appeared in the summer of 44 BC was interpreted as a sign of Julius Caesar's ascent to the heavens, helping Octavian in his campaign to persuade the Senate to deify his adoptive father. This association between Caesar's deification and the comet resurfaced when Augustus proposed the Saecular Games in 17 BC, and the 'Julian star' was depicted on coins leading up to the event.

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Artemide LXII

Lot # 385 - Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD). AR Denarius, P. Carisius legate, 25-23 BC. Obv. IMP CAESAR AVGVST. Bare head right. Rev. P CARISIVS LEG PRO PR. Round shield; around, spear-head and falcata (curved sword). RIC I (2nd ed.) 2A. AR. 3.78 g. 20.5 mm. R. Rare. Well centred on a large flan. Striking flatness on obverse. About EF. Titus Publius Carisius was a legatus of Augustus in Hispania. The presence of his name on this denarius and the presence of the falcata (a curved sword in use first by the Celtiberian peoples and later also by the Romans), point to the area of coinage of this series.

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Portraits of Augustus

Artemide LXII

Lot # 384 - BRONZE BUST OF AUGUSTUS Early Roman Empire, Last decades of the 1st century BC. Bronze bust depicting a young Emperor Augustus crowned with a laurel wreath. The eyes are made of silver, and there is a hole at the base of the neck that must have allowed the bust to be inserted into a larger model, most likely made of another material. Height: 40.5 mm. Weight: 39.40 g. In great conditions, with dark patina and no traces of oxidations. Scratches under patina at the level of one cheek and one cheekbone. The portrait, which is difficult to equivocate, clearly does not precisely imitate the classical types of Augustan statuary, although it can be likened to the Augustus Bevilaqua, at least by the presence of the laurel wreath.

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