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Aureus - Augustus MAR VLT, Mars
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 19 BC |
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| Reference(s) | RIC I#68, OCRE#ric.1(2).aug.68 |
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| Reverse description | A tetrastyle temple with a domed or arched roof depicted in frontal elevation, serving as the architectural setting for the cult statue of Mars Ultor. Within the temple's intercolumniation, Mars stands facing left, helmeted and cloaked in military dress, holding a legionary aquila (eagle standard) in his right hand and a parazonium (short sword) in his left. The abbreviated legend MAR VLT appears in the field, referencing the Temple of Mars Ultor vowed by Augustus at the Battle of Philippi and dedicated in the Forum of Augustus in 2 BC. A beaded border frames the design. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
This aureus belongs to the coinage struck following Augustus's diplomatic recovery of the standards lost by Crassus at Carrhae in 53 BC and by Antony's generals thereafter — a moment Augustus exploited with extraordinary political intensity. The standards were returned by the Parthian king Phraates IV in 20 BC without a single Roman soldier crossing into Parthian territory, yet Augustus packaged the settlement as a military triumph, dedicating the Temple of Mars Ultor on the Capitoline as a repository for the recovered eagles.
The temple itself would not be fully completed until 2 BC; this coin predates that dedication by nearly two decades.