Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
Cistophorus - Augustus AVGVSTVS
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 27 BC - 26 BC |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Bare head of Augustus facing right, rendered in fine portrait style characteristic of early Augustan coinage. The legend IMP CAESAR arcs around the left and upper field. To the right of the portrait, below the chin, a lituus (augural staff) is depicted in the field, referencing Augustus's role as augur. The effigy displays carefully detailed hair swept forward over the brow, consistent with the idealized yet naturalistic portraiture of the period. The beaded border of the cistophoric flan is visible along the coin's periphery. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Latin |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The cistophoric tetradrachm was a regional currency of western Asia Minor long before Rome absorbed the kingdom of Pergamon, and Augustus revived the series deliberately — these were not coins minted for Rome but for the Greek-speaking cities of the province of Asia, where the cistophorus had circulated for over two centuries. Striking them acknowledged local monetary tradition while firmly anchoring the new regime's authority over the wealthiest province in the empire.
RIC I 488 dates to the very first years of the Augustan settlement, when Octavian had only just accepted the title Augustus in January 27 BC.