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Aureus - Augustus CIVIB ET SIGN MILIT A PART RECVPER
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 18 BC - 17 BC |
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| Reference(s) | RIC I#133 var., Calicó#194 var. |
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| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A triple-arched triumphal arch depicted in full architectural detail, its façade showing three open bays with decorative elements; atop the arch a quadriga advances, flanked by standing figures to the left and right, likely personifications or military standards. The composition celebrates the diplomatic recovery of the Roman standards lost at the Battle of Carrhae. The reverse legend, partially visible in the lower right field, records the Parthian achievement in abbreviated Latin. The design is rendered with notable architectural precision, reflecting the propagandistic importance of Augustus's Parthian settlement of 20 BC. |
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This aureus commemorates one of Augustus's most celebrated diplomatic achievements: the return of the Roman standards captured by the Parthians at the battles of Carrhae (53 BC) and later engagements. The recovery was negotiated by Augustus in 20 BC through diplomacy rather than military force — a distinction he was careful to obscure in the subsequent propaganda campaign. The Senate voted a triumph; Augustus declined it, accepting instead a triumphal arch and permitting the fiction of a military victory to circulate freely in coinage and public monuments.
The "var." notations in both RIC and Calicó indicate a die variant outside the primary listings, worth cross-referencing against the British Museum holdings for precise die attribution.