The George W. La Borde Collection of Roman Aurei Part I
THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
Aureus January-April 43, AV 8.13 g. C·NORBANVS / L·CESTIVS Draped bust of Sibyl r.; in r. field, PR. Rev. Cybele on throne in biga of lions l., holding patera in r. hand and resting l. hand on tympanum ; in upper l. field, S·C. Babelon Cestia 3 and Norbana 5. Bahrfeldt 26. Sydenham 1155. Sear Imperators 196. Crawford 491/2. Calicó 5.
Rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. Struck on a very broad flan
and complete, good extremely fine / extremely fine
Provenance
From the inventory of Robert Kokotailo – Calgary Coin Gallery (Alberta, Canada), sold on January 2003.

The circumstances under which this aureus was struck are not certainly known, but it almost certainly is an emergencyg issue of the senate. It was struck in the name of the praetors Lucius Cestius and Gaius Norbanus, presumably in the early part of 43 B.C., when the senate became allied with Octavian against Marc Antony, who had been declared a public enemy by the senate in February of this year following his ‘war’ against Decimus Brutus. The former right-hand-man of Julius Caesar, Antony, now realized just how formidable an enemy he had in young Octavian. As perilous as the situation could have become (the production of these aurei indicates the senate was formulating plans for war), Antony and Octavian resolved their differences through negotiation. On November 11, 43 the Second Triumvirate was formed, which determined that Antony, Octavian and Lepidus would work together rather than engage in a costly civil war.