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Denarius - Augustus PAX
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
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| Year | 68-69 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed, laureate bust of Augustus facing right, rendered with finely detailed portraiture characteristic of Augustan coinage. The hair is depicted in tight, layered curls swept forward over the brow, and the laurel wreath is clearly articulated. The bust is draped at the shoulder. The encircling legend reads CAESAR AVGVSTVS, distributed around the periphery of the flan in incuse Latin capitals. The die-work reflects the refined aesthetic of early Imperial Roman engraving. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a dextrarum iunctio — two clasped right hands rendered prominently in the center of the field — symbolizing concord and alliance. Rising vertically above the handshake is a caduceus, the staff of Mercury associated with peace and commerce, its wings and intertwined serpents clearly delineated. Flanking the caduceus on either side are two cornucopias crossed at their bases, their mouths overflowing, emblematic of abundance and prosperity. The legend PAX, invoking Peace, is inscribed in the lower exergual area in bold Latin capitals. The entire composition is a deliberate programmatic statement of Augustan ideology. |
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| Additional information |
Struck in the final months of Nero's reign or the immediate aftermath — the attribution to Augustus PAX types from 68–69 places this squarely in the chaos of the Year of the Four Emperors. The mint of Rome was producing coinage under rapidly shifting political authority during this period, and issues citing Augustan precedent were deliberate propaganda moves, invoking the peace and legitimacy of the first princeps at a moment when neither existed.
RIC I 103 is a Lugdunum attribution in some catalog traditions. Worth confirming mint against die axis before finalizing provenance notes.