One of Two Known- RI247 An Excessively Rare Roman Gold Aureus of Augustus

[Joe Geranio]

RIC 402- An Excessively Rare Roman Gold Aureus of Augustus (27 B.C.E.-14 C.E.), One of Two Known,  From my friend AA.

Octavian as Augustus, 27 BC-14 AD- R4
 
d=21 mm
C. Marius C.F. Tromentina. Aureus circa 13 BC, AV 8.10 g. CAESAR AVGVST Bare head r.; behind, lituus and simpulum. Rev. C·MARIVS Augustus, veiled and togate, ploughing r. with two oxen before city wall; in exergue, TRO.III·VIR. C 460. Bahrfeldt 185 (these dies). BMC –. CBN 514 (these dies). Calicò 138 (this coin). RIC 402.
 
Of the highest rarity, only the second specimen known and the only one available to collectors.
A coin of extraordinary historical interest and fascination struck on a very large flan with a superb reverse composition
Ex M&M sale XIII, 1954, 623.
 
One of the rarest of Augustus' aurei, this issue celebrates the annexation of the Roman Alpine provinces of Raetia and Noricum in 15 B.C. Led by the future emperor Tiberius and his brother Nero Claudius Drusus, this campaign was of great strategic value as the territorial acquisitions contained invasion routes between Italy and Free Germany. Raetia, especially, was of little commercial value (its main exports were wine, cheese and timber), but its addition extended the Imperial frontier to the Danube, which had both offensive and defensive benefits. The reverse depicts Augustus (who was in Gaul and on the frontier during these campaigns) in a traditional plowing scene, but this time imposing city walls are in the background. There can be little doubt that these walls are meant to extend the foundation metaphor to include the Romanization of these undeveloped territories. A comparatively common issue of Augustus (RIC 162-165), struck at Lugdunum between 15 and 13 B.C. celebrates the same event. It depicts one or two men in military garb, each holding a parazonium, presenting branches to Augustus, seated before them on a platform. The figures must represent his adopted sons Tiberius and Nero Claudius Drusus, who had led the campaigns (when only one figure is present we might presume it represents Tiberius). Most of the other precious metal coins from Rome in 13 B.C. publicized the confirmation of Marcus Agrippa as the heirapparent, for Augustus had renewed his tribunician power in that year. As part of this dynastic celebration, coins in the series depict Julia, daughter of Augustus and wife of Agrippa, and her two sons by Agrippa, Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar.
 
NAC27, 298

[Vincent]

Thanks for the fascinating lession behind these issues. I enjoyed the read and picture!

[Andrew McCabe]

Very interesting Joe, and by the title of the thread I guessed it might have been started by you. I have four aurei of Octavian / Augustus in my collection; all are reasonably rare, but none excessively so as in this coin. Bahrfeldt's work on the gold of the Republic and Augustus is the standard I use - does anyone have Calico to hand - does Calico list a corpus of actual coins, weights, locations, or is it just a type catalogue? If the latter, I won't be buying it, if it adds to Bahrfeldt I might. Below are my four Octavian aurei, the one with the facing Victory is a new acquisition:

I resolved many years ago never to get into seriously collecting gold. A sample of each Imperator would be enough, I told myself - just one Octavian, one Julius Caesar, one Mars/Eagle etc. The four Octavian aurei below are an eloquent demonstration of my willpower, as are my 3 Mars/Eagle types, my good 18th-century-made Oath scene gold with XXX below the Janiform heads of Dioscuri (a non-ancient type that is included in Bahrfeldt) etc. I've also resolved to always eat healthy food and excercise regularly. In reality I eat chocolate, like red wine, good steak without the fat removed, take taxis, and snap up any Republican gold I don't have if priced in the $2k-$5k range. Although one wouldn't recognise it from the prices for EF-FDC gold in NAC catalogues, fine condition RR gold typically retails reasonably, even great rarities, which means, annoyingly, I keep adding such coins. So, the four aurei below (and quite a few other gold coins in my collection) really demonstrate my iron-clad willpower.

[Joe Geranio]

Andrew,

This post of your is truly entertaining and I really enjoyed it!  Thanks  for letting me know that there is someone else out there like me!!  Love your aurei.

Joe
Julio Claudian nutty guy!

[AncientJoe]

does anyone have Calico to hand - does Calico list a corpus of actual coins, weights, locations, or is it just a type catalogue? If the latter, I won't be buying it, if it adds to Bahrfeldt I might.

It is primarily a type catalog - it sometimes lists the auction record of the specific coin they've pictured for the type, but it has a relatively light amount of information overall, although it's still appealing for those of us who have been bitten by the gold bug.

[Andrew McCabe]

does anyone have Calico to hand - does Calico list a corpus of actual coins, weights, locations, or is it just a type catalogue? If the latter, I won't be buying it, if it adds to Bahrfeldt I might.

It is primarily a type catalog - it sometimes lists the auction record of the specific coin they've pictured for the type, but it has a relatively light amount of information overall, although it's still appealing for those of us who have been bitten by the gold bug.

In that case I'll stick with Bahrfeldt which covers the exact types I'm interested in, no more, and in great detailing, in many cases listing all known specimens. I think I've browsed Calico before and I didn't think to buy it, with reason.

I'm bitten by the gold, silver, aes grave and struck bronze bugs. Oddly, the struck bronzes are like mosquito bites (which I've a lot of experience with), seemingly inconsequential but keep you awake for a very long time when they strike by surprise. As for gold, I keep thinking that I don't actually need any more. Then another well-worn rarity pops up at a low price, and I'm bitten. For a comprehensive collection I want all metals, otherwise I would feel that I'm not collecting RR coinage, but an arbitrary portion of that coinage. But that's just me, and if one loves silver or bronze coins for their inherent beauty or specific interest, then I understand that it makes less sense to collect the metals that don't interest. For me, I like the coinage as a whole, everything. The struggle is always to keep the balance across all metals, a fair proportion of each, in fair condition for each proportion. Currently I'm slightly unbalanced, my struck bronzes being world-beaters, my silver being pretty good, and my gold and aes grave being a representative sample in so-so condition. I guess in principle I should have been buying better-condition gold and forgoing some beautiful struck bronzes, but one has to go where one's collecting bug tells one to go.

[jmuona]

I repeat my old complaint. Calico illustrates denarii as aurei if he thinks one does exist and unfortunately even when he thinks one should exist although it does not - compare Otho with Vesta. I understand from a previous thread that he also "created" images of coins he only knew as descriptions, but these are probably drawings (luckily).
Definitely one of the books I never should have bought.
s.
Jyrki Muona

[Joe Geranio]

Good point on Calico

[dafnis]

Very similar approach to that other "work" (just to be polite) from the same author... Calicó, Fernández & Fernández (FFC): "Catálogo Monográfico de los Denarios de la República Romana".
The Aurei book was on my list but after reading similar reviews was completely out of it!

By the way, nice architectural aureus! I also like the Andrew's Victory facing!! No gold coins for me... would be a nice contrast on my "silver-cladded" trays 

[Andrew McCabe]

I repeat my old complaint. Calico illustrates denarii as aurei if he thinks one does exist and unfortunately even when he thinks one should exist although it does not - compare Otho with Vesta. I understand from a previous thread that he also "created" images of coins he only knew as descriptions, but these are probably drawings (luckily).
Definitely one of the books I never should have bought.
s.
Jyrki Muona

Gosh
That's the same deceptive negligence used in his silver coin catalogue as noted also by dafnis. I won't ever be buying any book with Calico name on it I suspect. For the benefit of those who don't yet know, in his silver denarius catalogue he took non existent coin types that were mis read by Babelon and made then exist through photoshop; in other instances where a type exists but he had no photo he invented a picture with photoshop, often putting design details or legends in the wrong place and of course the wrong style. If he is using the same malevolent toolbox in his gold catalogue then it is completely useless as a serious reference. As a minimum any serious coin reference should cite at least one actual well-preserved example of each coin type. In that case if there is a misreading then the record can be corrected later. Without a cited example of each type then there is no record to check, and every entry bar common well known coins might be completely fictional.
Andrew

Very similar approach to that other "work" (just to be polite) from the same author... Calicó, Fernández & Fernández (FFC): "Catálogo Monográfico de los Denarios de la República Romana".
The Aurei book was on my list but after reading similar reviews was completely out of it!

By the way, nice architectural aureus! I also like the Andrew's Victory facing!! No gold coins for me... would be a nice contrast on my "silver-cladded" trays  

I just received my facing Victory. It's rather better condition than expected, and has a slightly reddish gold tone, perhaps a Boscoreale coin, which in view of the degree of wear would make sense; my own photo below.

[Joe Geranio]

Wonderful coin!!

[Meepzorp]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the story and photo. That's a beautiful coin. And it is so different from just about any other gold or silver Augustus coin I've ever seen. The scene on the reverse looks more like something you'd expect to see on a bronze provincial coin.

Meepzorp

[Meepzorp]

Hi Andrew,

Your gold coin with the facing victory is absolutely beautiful. I never knew that type existed. I've never sen one before.

The facing victory on the reverse reminds me somewhat of a Crete, Knossos, Augustus AE coin (RPC 1003) that I have.

Meepzorp

[Andrew McCabe]

Hi Andrew,

Your gold coin with the facing victory is absolutely beautiful. I never knew that type existed. I've never sen one before.

The facing victory on the reverse reminds me somewhat of a Crete, Knossos, Augustus AE coin (RPC 1003) that I have.

Meepzorp

Thank you Meepzorp, it is a beautiful coin. I bought it only last week. It's amazed me for years that rare and elegant aurei, if worn, cost exactly the same as common and ugly aurei, if worn. One might as well collect the rare elegant types then. There must be thousands of Caesar Hirtius aurei and Plancus aurei floating around, yet the three rare Octavian types above cost no more than a Hirtius or a Plancus would in similar condition even though you could count the known specimens between your hands and mine. The Mark Antony aureus cost more than the combined amount of the other three, but then it is in much better condition and shows an imperator difficult to find on an affordable gold coin.