Octavian, as Imperator and Triumvir (43-33 BC). AR denarius (19mm, 10h). NGC

Description

Octavian as Imperator and Triumvir (43-33 BC). AR denarius (19mm 10h). NGC VF bankers mark brushed. Southern or central Italian mint ca. 30-29 BC. Laureate head of Octavian right / IMP-CAESAR statue of Octavian (?) standing facing nude but for chlamys grounded spear in right hand parazonium in left atop rostral column decorated with prows and anchors. RIC I 271. Born on 23 September 63 BC into a wealthy plebeian family Augustus originally Gaius Octavius was the grandnephew and posthumously adopted son of Julius Caesar. This inheritance set him on a collision course with Rome’s political elite leading to the formation of the Second Triumvirate with Marc Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Their initial unity against Caesar’s assassins eventually gave way to conflict from which Augustus emerged as Rome’s first true emperor after victories in key battles like Philippi and Actium. In 27 BC he was honored with the title “Augustus” by the Senate signaling the start of his reign and the Pax Romana a golden era of peace prosperity and cultural flourishing that lasted over two centuries.