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Cistophorus - Augustus AVGVSTVS
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 27 BC - 26 BC |
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| Composition | Silver |
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| Reverse description | A sheaf of six bound grain ears (wheat stalks) tied together at the center with a band or knot, their heads fanning outward and upward in a symmetrical arrangement that fills the field. The legend AVGVSTVS is inscribed horizontally across the middle of the sheaf, divided by the binding, reading AVG·V on the left and STVS on the right. The design is enclosed within a beaded border, a hallmark of the cistophoric coinage tradition of Asia Minor. The motif evokes Augustan themes of agricultural abundance and the prosperity of the empire. |
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| Reverse lettering | AVGVSTVS (Translation: Augustus.) |
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| Additional information |
The cistophoric standard was a deliberate political choice here. Rather than issuing denarii, Augustus maintained the old Attalid tetradrachm format across the newly reorganized province of Asia — a concession to regional monetary tradition that also sidestepped direct comparison with Roman silver of inferior purity. These were struck at Pergamon, the former Attalid capital, almost certainly in 27 BC when Augustus was in the east reorganizing provincial administration following Actium.
RIC 491 is one of the earliest datable issues under the new Augustan name, adopted by senate decree in January 27 BC — meaning the coin's inscription is essentially contemporary with the title itself.