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Roman Emp., Octavian, Aureus ca. 19 BC

Currency:CHF Category:Coins & Paper Money / Coins: Ancient Start Price:24,000.00 CHF Estimated At:30,000.00 - 37,500.00 CHF
Roman Emp., Octavian, Aureus ca. 19 BC
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The Roman Empire, Octavian as Augustus, 27 BC – 14 AD, L. Aquillius Florus. Aureus ca. 19 BC, AV 8.08 g. CAESAR – AVGVSTVS Head r., wearing oak wreath. Rev. L·AQVILLIVS FLORVS ·III·VIR· Open flower of six petals. Bahrfeldt 172. Babelon Aquilia 3. C 363. BMC 45. RIC 308. CBN 110. Calicó 125 (this coin). Biaggi 157 (this coin). Extremely rare, only three specimens known to Bahrfeldt, and in superb condition for this difficult issue. An unusual and attractive portrait, good very fine / extremely fine Ex NAC sale 31, 2005, American collector, 11. Punning allusions were a well-established tradition on Greek and Roman coins, and we find a number of them on coins from the middle of Augustus’s reign. This aureus shows a flower in bloom enclosed by an inscription naming the moneyer L. Aquillius Florus. The similarity of the Latin floris (meaning a flower or a blossom) to the moneyer’s name florus would not have been lost on recipients of this coin. That a coin type of such a personal nature was struck is evidence of Augustus’ tolerance for Republican institutions. Indeed, he restored the appearance of moneyers’ names on coinage in 19 B.C. after they had been absent for more than a generation. Augustus allowed moneyers to strike coins with their names and personalized designs until 12 B.C. and thereafter he allowed the tradition to linger until 4 B.C. in a more mundane fashion with moneyers’ names still appearing on dupondii, asses and quadrantes with generic designs.