Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XX 29-30 Oct 2020
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Augustus AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Pergamum, circa 19-18 BC. IMP•IX•TR[•PO•V•], bare head right / Triumphal Arch of Augustus, surmounted by charioteer in facing quadriga, an aquila before each side wall; IMP•IX•TR•POT•V• on entablature, S•P•R• SIGNIS RECEPTIS in three lines below. RIC 510; RPC I 2218; BMCRE 703 = BMCRR East 310; RSC 298; BN 982-3 and 985. 11.79g, 22mm, 12h.
Good Extremely Fine; attractive light cabinet tone. Rare; the finest example of this desirable type to be offered at auction in the past 20 years by a considerable margin.
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Acquired from Numismatica Ars Classica AG.
This coin depicts what may reasonably be believed to be original form of the now ruined arch of Augustus which originally stood in the Forum Romanum, spanning the road between the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Temple of Caesar. According to the literary evidence, two arches were erected in honour of Augustus in the Forum: one in 29 BC to commemorate his victory at Actium (see Cassius Dio 49.15), the other in 19 BC to celebrate the return of the legionary standards lost by Crassus to the Parthians in 53 BC (see Cassius Dio 51.19). This latter coup was of great importance to Augustus and was also commemorated on the famed Prima Porta statue found at the villa of Livia. It seems that Augustus belatedly understood that commemoration of his victory over fellow Romans at the battle at Actium was not well received by the people, but a victory over a foreign enemy which restored soldiers and standards lost in a disastrous stain upon the Roman military record would be a perfect opportunity for cementing his position as saviour of the nation.
In 1546/7 an inscription dated to 29 BC and dedicated to Augustus was found at the site of the archaeological ruins linked to this triumphal arch in the Forum, the remains of which indicate the presence of a triple arch at the spot where the ancient sources report an arch to Augustus to have been; inscribed upon it is a clear message that Augustus through this victory was able to save the Republic - perhaps a highly exaggerated statement for the latter 'Parthian Arch', since the sources seem to suggest that the Parthians reacted meekly to Augustus' show of force and chose to return the standards and captives rather than risk open war, and more fitting therefore for the Actian Arch.
The appearance of both arches are preserved solely through the numismatic record. Since no remains of a second arch of Augustus have been found in the Forum, this has led many to conclude that this 'Parthian Arch' was an expansion or replacement of the old Actian Arch. This theory is problematic to some scholars since Augustus does not mention either arch in his Res Gestae, a list of his achievements which certainly did not withhold from self-aggrandizement, however the archaeological evidence seems clear. Furthermore, the present type is significant and largely overlooked, as it depicts a single span arch alike to the Actian one, but with the explicit presence of the recovered standards, just one year before coins were issued bearing the likeness of the triple-span Parthian Arch. The present type is therefore an important piece of evidence that should be considered to be the direct evidence for the Actian Arch being remodeled and repurposed in 19/18 BC.
Good Extremely Fine; attractive light cabinet tone. Rare; the finest example of this desirable type to be offered at auction in the past 20 years by a considerable margin.
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Acquired from Numismatica Ars Classica AG.
This coin depicts what may reasonably be believed to be original form of the now ruined arch of Augustus which originally stood in the Forum Romanum, spanning the road between the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Temple of Caesar. According to the literary evidence, two arches were erected in honour of Augustus in the Forum: one in 29 BC to commemorate his victory at Actium (see Cassius Dio 49.15), the other in 19 BC to celebrate the return of the legionary standards lost by Crassus to the Parthians in 53 BC (see Cassius Dio 51.19). This latter coup was of great importance to Augustus and was also commemorated on the famed Prima Porta statue found at the villa of Livia. It seems that Augustus belatedly understood that commemoration of his victory over fellow Romans at the battle at Actium was not well received by the people, but a victory over a foreign enemy which restored soldiers and standards lost in a disastrous stain upon the Roman military record would be a perfect opportunity for cementing his position as saviour of the nation.
In 1546/7 an inscription dated to 29 BC and dedicated to Augustus was found at the site of the archaeological ruins linked to this triumphal arch in the Forum, the remains of which indicate the presence of a triple arch at the spot where the ancient sources report an arch to Augustus to have been; inscribed upon it is a clear message that Augustus through this victory was able to save the Republic - perhaps a highly exaggerated statement for the latter 'Parthian Arch', since the sources seem to suggest that the Parthians reacted meekly to Augustus' show of force and chose to return the standards and captives rather than risk open war, and more fitting therefore for the Actian Arch.
The appearance of both arches are preserved solely through the numismatic record. Since no remains of a second arch of Augustus have been found in the Forum, this has led many to conclude that this 'Parthian Arch' was an expansion or replacement of the old Actian Arch. This theory is problematic to some scholars since Augustus does not mention either arch in his Res Gestae, a list of his achievements which certainly did not withhold from self-aggrandizement, however the archaeological evidence seems clear. Furthermore, the present type is significant and largely overlooked, as it depicts a single span arch alike to the Actian one, but with the explicit presence of the recovered standards, just one year before coins were issued bearing the likeness of the triple-span Parthian Arch. The present type is therefore an important piece of evidence that should be considered to be the direct evidence for the Actian Arch being remodeled and repurposed in 19/18 BC.