Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 135 21 Nov 2022
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The Roman Empire. Octavian as Augustus, 27 BC – 14 AD.
Aureus, Colonia Patricia circa 18-17 BC, AV 7.89 g. S P Q R CAESARI AVGVSTO Bare head r. Rev. QV –OD VIAE – MVN SVNT Emperor, crowned by Victory, driving in biga of elephants r. atop arch flanked by arcades. C 232 var. (different arrangement of reverse legend). BMC –. Barhfeldt 192 var. (different arrangement of reverse legend). RIC 143 var. (different arrangement of reverse legend). CBN –. Calicó 264 var. (different arrangement of reverse legend).
An apparently unrecorded variety of an exceedingly rare type known in very few specimens
of which this is the finest. An important issue of great fascination. Struck on a very
broad flan and from fresh dies. Extremely fine / good extremely fine
The reverse legend QVOD VIAE MVN SVNT on this rare aureus is an abbreviation of the Latin sentence fragment quod viae munitae sunt, which means "because the roads have been repaired." It reduces a similar abbreviated legend that appears inscribed on a cippus depicted on denarii struck by the moneyer L. Vicinius in 16 BC (RIC 362). On the Vicinius issue, the full inscription on the cippus reads SPQR IMP CAE QVOD V M S EC EA P Q IS AD A DE, which is expanded as S(enatus) P(opulus)q(ue) R(omanus) Imp(eratori) Cae(sari) quod v(iae) m(unitae) s(unt) ex ea p(ecunia) q(uam) is ad a(erarium) de(tulit) and translated as "The Senate and People of Rome (gave this cippus) to Imperator Caesar (Augustus) because the roads have been repaired out of the money that he contributed to the treasury." As part of Augustus' plans of restoration following the end of the Civil War, he embarked upon an ambitious program of repairing all the Roman roads in Italy. To this end he assigned the wealthy senators to oversee and cover the costs of repair for various roads and highways. However, the most important road in Italy, the Via Flaminia, which linked Rome to Arminum on the Adriatic coast, he reserved for himself so that as emperor he could be seen to be doing the most important work and to be personally undertaking the greatest expense. In addition to the roadwork, Augustus also rebuilt all the bridges on the Via Flaminia except for the Milvian Bridge, which crosses the Tiber. Upon completion of the repairs to the great road, a triumphal arch was erected at each end, one at Arminum and another at the Milvian Bridge. It is not entirely clear which of these triumphal arches is depicted on the reverse of the present aureus. A possible argument in favor of the Milvian Bridge arch is the fact that the arch at Arminum, which still stands as a gate of the medieval walled city, carries a dedicatory inscription that refers to the roadwork, but uses a different Latin formulation than that used in the coin legends. The aureus was clearly struck to celebrate the completion of repairs to the Via Flaminia, but one wonders whether it might represent the money that was actually used to cover the costs of those repairs. If so, it would have a remarkably close personal connection to Augustus himself-much more than any other Roman coin-since we know from Vicinius' denarii that the silver and gold used to pay for the repairs came directly from the emperor's own purse.
Aureus, Colonia Patricia circa 18-17 BC, AV 7.89 g. S P Q R CAESARI AVGVSTO Bare head r. Rev. QV –OD VIAE – MVN SVNT Emperor, crowned by Victory, driving in biga of elephants r. atop arch flanked by arcades. C 232 var. (different arrangement of reverse legend). BMC –. Barhfeldt 192 var. (different arrangement of reverse legend). RIC 143 var. (different arrangement of reverse legend). CBN –. Calicó 264 var. (different arrangement of reverse legend).
An apparently unrecorded variety of an exceedingly rare type known in very few specimens
of which this is the finest. An important issue of great fascination. Struck on a very
broad flan and from fresh dies. Extremely fine / good extremely fine
The reverse legend QVOD VIAE MVN SVNT on this rare aureus is an abbreviation of the Latin sentence fragment quod viae munitae sunt, which means "because the roads have been repaired." It reduces a similar abbreviated legend that appears inscribed on a cippus depicted on denarii struck by the moneyer L. Vicinius in 16 BC (RIC 362). On the Vicinius issue, the full inscription on the cippus reads SPQR IMP CAE QVOD V M S EC EA P Q IS AD A DE, which is expanded as S(enatus) P(opulus)q(ue) R(omanus) Imp(eratori) Cae(sari) quod v(iae) m(unitae) s(unt) ex ea p(ecunia) q(uam) is ad a(erarium) de(tulit) and translated as "The Senate and People of Rome (gave this cippus) to Imperator Caesar (Augustus) because the roads have been repaired out of the money that he contributed to the treasury." As part of Augustus' plans of restoration following the end of the Civil War, he embarked upon an ambitious program of repairing all the Roman roads in Italy. To this end he assigned the wealthy senators to oversee and cover the costs of repair for various roads and highways. However, the most important road in Italy, the Via Flaminia, which linked Rome to Arminum on the Adriatic coast, he reserved for himself so that as emperor he could be seen to be doing the most important work and to be personally undertaking the greatest expense. In addition to the roadwork, Augustus also rebuilt all the bridges on the Via Flaminia except for the Milvian Bridge, which crosses the Tiber. Upon completion of the repairs to the great road, a triumphal arch was erected at each end, one at Arminum and another at the Milvian Bridge. It is not entirely clear which of these triumphal arches is depicted on the reverse of the present aureus. A possible argument in favor of the Milvian Bridge arch is the fact that the arch at Arminum, which still stands as a gate of the medieval walled city, carries a dedicatory inscription that refers to the roadwork, but uses a different Latin formulation than that used in the coin legends. The aureus was clearly struck to celebrate the completion of repairs to the Via Flaminia, but one wonders whether it might represent the money that was actually used to cover the costs of those repairs. If so, it would have a remarkably close personal connection to Augustus himself-much more than any other Roman coin-since we know from Vicinius' denarii that the silver and gold used to pay for the repairs came directly from the emperor's own purse.