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Denarius - Augustus CIVIB ET SIGN MILIT A PART RECVPER
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 18 BC - 17 BC |
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| Currency | Denarius, Reform of Augustus (27 BC – AD 215) |
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| Reverse description | A triumphal arch depicted in three-quarter architectural elevation, surmounted by a quadriga driven by a central standing figure, flanked on either side by a soldier or attendant figure standing erect, each holding a military standard. The arch itself features two lateral arched openings resting on sturdy piers, rendered with notable architectural detail. The composition celebrates the recovery of the Roman military standards from the Parthians, one of Augustus's most celebrated diplomatic achievements. The reverse legend CIVIB ET SIGN MILIT A PART RECVPER is distributed in the field to the left and right of the arch, with additional elements above. The overall design is bold and propagandistic, commemorating the restitution of the standards lost at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC. |
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| Reverse lettering | CIVIB ET SIGN MILIT A PART RECVPER (Translation: Civibus Et Signis Militaribus a Parthis Recuperatis. Citizens and military ensigns recovered from the Parthians.) |
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Issued to celebrate the diplomatic coup of 20 BC, when Augustus recovered the legionary standards lost by Crassus at Carrhae in 53 BC and by Antony in subsequent Parthian campaigns — a humiliation Rome had nursed for three decades. The recovery was achieved entirely through negotiation with Parthian king Phraates IV, not military force, but Augustus's propaganda machine worked hard to frame it as a conquest. This coin is a direct product of that campaign.
The abbreviation PART RECVPER — Parthian standards recovered — encapsulates the official line. Phraates returned the standards to avoid Roman pressure on his western frontier, not out of defeat.