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1 Augustalis - Federico II Messina
| Issuer | Sicily, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1220-1250 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Currency | Tari (1060-1754) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | CESAR AVG - IMP ROM (Translation: Caesar Augustus, Roman Emperor) |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Frederick II introduced the augustalis around 1231 — the first gold coin struck in the Latin West since the Carolingian period — as a deliberate assertion of imperial authority modeled on ancient Roman coinage. The choice of Messina as one of the two authorized mints (alongside Brindisi) was strategic: Sicily's Norman administrative infrastructure made it the most capable production center in his realm.
The name itself references Augustus, a title Frederick wore with genuine ideological weight. He had been crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1220 and spent the following decades in near-constant conflict with the papacy, and the coin's unapologetically classical character was partly a political statement directed at Rome.