DR-853 | Crawford: 529/2b
Marcus Antonius / Gaius Octavius
Marcus Antonius / Gaius Octavius

Gens: Antonia / Julia
Moneyer: Marcus Antonius / Gaius Octavius
Date and mint: 39 BC - ?


Obverse: Bust of Octavian, right, with beard. Dotted border.
Legend: CAESAR IMP

Reverse: winged caduceus Dotted border.
Legend: ANTON IMP

Comment: The Antonia gens, of plebeian origin, achieved great prominence with Mark Antony, one of Julius Caesar's closest collaborators and later a member of the Second Triumvirate. The gens Julia, on the other hand, was one of the oldest patrician families in Rome, famous for its mythical lineage that linked it to Venus and Aeneas; From her came Gaius Octavius, Caesar's adopted son and heir, called to become Augustus.

In 40 BC, after the Peruvian War and with tensions between Antony and Octavian about to break the balance of the triumvirate, both sealed a decisive agreement: the Peace of Brundisius, which confirmed the division of the Roman world. The East was left for Antony, the West for Octavian and Africa for Lepidus. Reconciliation was reinforced with the marriage of Antony and Octavia, Octavian's sister, in an attempt to cement harmony between the two strong men of the Republic.

This denarius belongs to that context of unity propaganda. On the obverse the bearded bust of Octavian is represented with the legend CAESAR IMP, underlining his status as imperator. On the reverse, a winged caduceus with the inscription ANTON IMP refers to Mark Antony. The caduceus, an attribute of Mercury, was a symbol of peace and harmony, transmitting the idea that both leaders, on an equal footing, were committed to guaranteeing the stability of the State.

Beyond the iconography, this issue is a direct reflection of the fragility of the Triumvirate: a coin that proclaimed harmony at a time when the rivalry between Antony and Octavian was already evident, a prelude to the definitive rupture that would occur years later in Actium.

Provenance: Numismatica Ars Classica (2011)
Price: 1,680 €