The George W. La Borde Collection of Roman Aurei Part I
THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
Octavian, 32 – 27 BC
Aureus, Brundisium or Roma 29-27 BC, AV 8.02 g. Bare head r. Rev. IMP – CAESAR Victory standing facing on globe, head l. and wings spread, holding wreath and vexillum . Bahrfeldt 109. C 113. BMC 622. RIC 268. CBN 85. Hurter, Sammlung Götz Grabert , 2 (this coin). Calicó 205 (these dies).
Rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. An early portrait struck on a very broad
flan and an interesting reverse composition commemorating Octavian’s victory at
Actium. Almost invisible marks, otherwise good extremely fine
Provenance
E.S.R. Collection sold by Adolph Hess A.G. & Bank Leu, Hermann Rosenberg expert, auction 17, Lucerne, 23 March 1961, lot 37, estimated CHF 1’400, for CHF 1’525.
Sold by Gitta Kanein-Kastner, auction 4, Munich, 27-28 November 1973, lot 215, estimated 16’000 Marks, for 24’000 Marks.
Götz Grabert (1924-2000) Collection sold by LHS Numismatik, auction 97 (”A European Scholar lately deceased”), Zurich, 10 May 2006, lot 2.

Struck in 29-27 B.C. during the last phase of Octavian’s pre-Augustan coinage which followed his victory over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium and subsequent conquest of Egypt, this splendid aureus closely copies the silver denarii issues of the year before (cf. CRI 406-8), which present Victory standing on a celestial globe, a symbol of world dominion. But, here Victory holds a vexillum, a military standard with a flag attached to a horizontal bar atop a pole, instead of a palm branch. This particular depiction of Victory has been identified as that which stood upon the apex of the pediment of the Curia Julia, Caesar’s new Senate House which he commenced building in 44 B.C. shortly before his assassination and which was not completed until after Actium. The significance of the vexillum is important as, with the state’s coffers full with the recently plundered gold from his Egyptian conquests, Octavian was able to pay off some 100,000 of the disbanded veterans and settle them on estates throughout Italy and the provinces. Not only did these retired soldiers provide security for areas that had lacked it previously, they helped to spread Roman culture and ideas, and their settlement also released the state from the onerous burden of maintaining some sixty legions.