Augustus. 27 BC–AD 14. AR Denarius

Augustus. 27 BC–AD 14. AR Denarius (19 mm, 3.70 g, 6 h). Rome, 17 BC. M. Sanquinius, moneyer. Obv. [A]VGVSTVS DIVI F, bare head of Augustus right. Rev. M•SANQVINIVS III VIR, youthful laureate head of Divus Julius Caesar right; above, comet. BMC 71; Cohen 1; RIC I 338. Provenance: From the Joseph Markowitz Collection (1897–1981), brought to Israel in 1949 and preserved in the family thereafter.

Struck during the celebration of the Ludi Saeculares in 17 BC, this denarius articulates with clarity the dynastic foundations of the Augustan regime. The obverse legend DIVI F identifies Augustus as the son of a god, a claim made tangible on the reverse by the portrait of Divus Julius Caesar, shown youthful and idealized. The comet above Caesar’s head refers to the sidus Iulium, the celestial sign believed to have appeared at the time of Caesar’s funeral games and widely accepted as proof of his apotheosis. The pairing of Augustus and the deified Julius on a single coin is deliberate and programmatic. Augustus appears without overt regalia, reinforcing an image of restraint and continuity, while the reverse anchors his authority in divine lineage rather than personal ambition. Issues of M. Sanquinius are among the clearest expressions of this ideology, translating recent history into a permanent and widely circulating medium. Despite surface imperfections typical of long circulation, this specimen retains strong historical presence and is further distinguished by its long recorded provenance. It remains an important document of Augustan self presentation at the moment when the Principate was being formally and ritually established.