Author Topic: Spectacular Augustus Denarius (Read 2370 times)

Joe Sermarini · « **on:** August 07, 2006, 08:44:57 am »

Augustus, 16 January 27 B.C. - 19 August 14 A.D.

16768. Silver denarius, S 1592, RIC 541, BMC 664, superb EF, uncertain Asia Minor mint, 3.850g, 20.1mm, 0o, 27 - 20 B.C.; obverse laureate head right, dot border; reverse AVGVSTVS, capricorn left, holding globe, cornucopia above, rudder below; extraordinary high relief impossible to capture in a photograph, lustrous and nearly as struck; rare; $4750.00

peterpil19 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 07, 2006, 10:04:49 am »

Really amazing coin Joe! I don't think it will stay long in forvm's catalog before it is sold.

Peter

Noah · « **Reply #2 on:** August 07, 2006, 11:13:15 am »

Yes, the coin is amazingly out of my affordability range! It is beautiful and someone will be fortunate to add it to their collection.

Best, Noah

Pscipio · « **Reply #3 on:** August 07, 2006, 11:15:36 am »

What an amazing portrait! Noble, young, beautiful, majestic - that is how an immortal emperor is supposed to look like!

Lars

Ginolerhino · « **Reply #4 on:** August 07, 2006, 01:13:16 pm »

hmmmm... coins like this are just incentives for crime.

Rupert · « **Reply #5 on:** August 07, 2006, 01:54:51 pm »

Glad I'm not the only one with this thought.

Rupert

decius · « **Reply #6 on:** August 07, 2006, 06:05:58 pm »

A truly spectacular coin.

I believe that M. Kreuzer suggests Cyprus as the possible Eastern Mint. I believe that he notes its similarity to the CA series of Augustus among other details.

http://www.oldromancoins.com/mk-book/page29.htm

Best regards,
Decius

LordBest · « **Reply #7 on:** August 08, 2006, 04:13:29 am »

Coins like that are the gods way of telling us to rob banks. Time to get the sawn-off siege ballista.
LordBest.

Potator II · « **Reply #8 on:** August 08, 2006, 04:31:28 am »

Hi Joe

Just incredible coin !!!

I wish I had it in my collection

Potator

awl · « **Reply #9 on:** August 08, 2006, 10:13:00 pm »

Wow

Rupert · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2006, 10:37:15 am »

I'm no botanic, but the leaves of his wreath look more like oak-leaves to me than like laurel. What do you think?

Rupert

Jochen · « **Reply #11 on:** August 09, 2006, 10:59:34 am »

Hi Rupert!

You are right if you say it is often difficult to differentiate between laurel and oak wreath. But I think an oak leaf is much more serrated than a laurel leaf. Here I have an example. When I compare it with the coin in question I think it still looks more probably like a laurel leaf!

Best regards

moonmoth · « **Reply #12 on:** August 09, 2006, 01:32:44 pm »

I think it's likely that what you are seeing as a serrate or lobed leaf on Augustus' head is actually a small cluster of bay leaves.

Some laurels have leaves six inches long. Laurus nobilis, the sweet bay or bay laurel, was sacred to Apollo, and its leaves are much smaller than that, maybe two or three inches long, and they are smooth-edged, neither serrate nor lobed. The actual size will depend on its environment and the method of cultivation. Those shown in this wreath look unusually small even for bay, but on the other hand they look as though they might be young, immature shoots, which would appear especially fresh and green.

Bill

Tom Mullally · « **Reply #13 on:** August 09, 2006, 02:41:44 pm »

Just for clarification, I noticed a minor mistake in Joe's description. Joe described it as "capricorn left" when it is, in fact, "capricorn right." Not a big deal, but the capricorn left type is quite rare compared to the right facing type.

Tom

Marius · « **Reply #14 on:** August 10, 2006, 01:18:40 am »

Are the dies of Joe's coins from an Aureus? I believe I have seen those dies before on an Aureus sold by Freeman and Sear. It might explain their fantastic quality (though they are far better than even normal aureus dies).

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2006, 04:29:50 am »

I think I'd have to put that down as a laurel wreath; oak leaves (the main European species anyway) are a very different shape, deeply lobed, and as they're rarer than laurels on coins, it's best to err on the side of safety.

*Alex · « **Reply #16 on:** August 10, 2006, 06:17:39 am »

On the other hand, in a decree passed by the Senate in 27 B.C. Augustus was awarded a crown of oak-leaves, he allegedly displayed it suspended from the apex of the roof of his house. To commemorate this event some of his denarii bear the reverse inscription OB CIVIS SERVATOS.
Given the date, I think that the wreath on Joe's coin is almost certainly made up of oak leaves.

Alex.

Numerianus · « **Reply #17 on:** August 15, 2006, 04:00:21 am »

A gorgeous amazing coin!

Is it the most expensive caprcorn denarius ever offered in the workd market?

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