The Death of Virgil

One of the Finest Known

Augustus AR Denarius. Rome, 19-18 BC. P. Petronius Turpilianus, moneyer. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head to right / P•PETRON•TVRPILIAN•III•VIR, Pegasus standing to right with left foreleg and hoof raised. RIC I 297; BMCRE 23-6 = BMCRR Rome 4536-9; BN 150 (same dies); RSC 491. 3.87g, 18mm, 9h.

Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare.

Acquired from Numismatica Ars Classica AG; Privately purchased from Harlan J. Berk, 1980’s.

It is potentially no coincidence that the issue of IIIvir monetalis P. Petronius Turpilianus showing the image of what must have been a magnificent Greek statue of Pegasus as the horse of the Muses in act of striking the ground with his hoof coincided with the year of the epic poet Virgil’s death. Virgil is known to have travelled to Greece in about 19 BC to revise the Aeneid, and after meeting Augustus in Athens returned thereafter to Italy, but caught a fever and died near Brundisium later that year on 21 September

This reverse type may be considered to allude to the spring of the Muses, the Hippokrene (‘Horse’s Fountain’), on Mount Helikon, where the winged stallion had struck his hoof and the spring came forth. According to Pausanias (Description of Greece, 9.31.3) the water of this spring was supposed to give poetic inspiration when imbibed. The reverse type of this issue may thus plausibly be interpreted as a subtle yet elegant commemoration of the memory of Virgil as a champion of Roman culture in the Golden Age of Augustus wherein thrived a rich appreciation of all forms of Greek culture and myth.

Augustus AR Denarius. Rome, 19/18 BC. P. Petronius Turpilianus, moneyer. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head to right / TVRPILIANVS•III•VIR•, six-rayed star above crescent. RIC I 300; BMCRE 32; RSC 495. 3.87g, 20mm, 3h.

Good Very Fine; banker’s mark to obv.

Auctioned in association with and on behalf of Numismática Lucernae, Jaén; Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XXII, 8 October 2021, lot 664; Ex Áureo & Calicó, Auction 353, 21 October 2020, lot 212; Ex Lifchuz Collection.

An Extremely Rare Spanish Issue

Augustus AR Aureus. Colonia Patricia(?), 18-17 BC. Bare head to left / Capricorn to right, holding globe with attached rudder, cornucopiae above; AVGVSTVS below. RIC I 129; BMCRE p. 62 note* var. (Capricorn left); Biaggi 83 var. (head right); ACIP 4342; Calicó 166. 7.70g, 20mm, 6h.

Good Very Fine; small scratch to obverse. Extremely Rare; no other examples offered at auction in over 20 years.

Acquired from HD Rauch GmbH.

3,000

The Finest of Only Four in 20 Years

Augustus AR Denarius. Spanish (Tarraco?) mint, 17-16 BC. S • P • Q • R • CAESARI AVGVSTO, bare head to left / QVOD • VIAE • MVN • SVNT

•, double triumphal arch set atop viaduct, ornamented with rostra and surmounted by Augustus, holding branch in right hand, crowned by Victory, who stands behind him, driving quadriga of horses to right. RIC I 145; BMCRE 434 = BMCRR Rome 4464; BN 1253-4; RSC 231. 3.84g, 20mm, 5h.

Near Extremely Fine; beautiful old cabinet tone. Extremely Rare; one of only four examples offered at auction in the past two decades, of which this is arguably the finest.

Ex Lifchuz Collection, Áureo & Calicó, Auction 353, 21 October 2020, lot 197.

After his defeat of Marc Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Octavian, who later became Augustus, secured his political position at Rome and this decisive victory enabled him to pursue his ambitions of sole rule and reform of the Republican system of government. Following the years of unrest caused by civil war, Augustus was determined to repair the damage done to the Empire, both political and physical, and amongst other major ventures he embarked on a project to improve the quality and reach of its roads in an effort to strengthen trade networks and increase mobility

This endeavour is referenced in the reverse legend of this coin which reads QVOD • VIAE • MVN • SVNT, communicating that the roads had been paved. This coin can therefore be seen to celebrate the finished and repaired roads that ameliorated the efficiency of the military and the ease of transportation of goods and people, something which became of increasing importance as the Empire’s population continued to expand. Indeed, the benefits provided by the better road infrastructure were felt by tradespeople, the military and the wider populace alike, allowing all to travel longer distances quicker even when encumbered by equipment or goods.

The restoration of the roads was assigned to wealthy senators to manage and finance for the most part, however the strategically significant Via Flaminia was managed by Augustus personally. This was arguably one of the most vital roads on the Italian peninsula, linking Rome to Ariminum (modern-day Rimini), an important trade centre with strong existing trade links by sea and river and now land, thanks to the vast expense of Augustus’ restorations. To mark the completion of his work on the road, Augustus constructed a triumphal arch at each end, monuments that are perhaps alluded to in the iconography on the reverse of this coin. Although it is not possible to attribute the arch depicted on this coin to a specific known structure, particularly since the arch at Ariminum, (which survives to this day) had only one aperture, it seems likely that this is an allegorical reference to the ‘triumph’ of finishing the road-building project.

639.

Augustus AV Aureus. Lugdunum, 15-12 BC. AVGVSTVS DIVI F, bare head to right / Bull butting to right, pawing ground and flicking tail; IMP•X in exergue. RIC I 166a; C. 136; BMCRE 450; BN 1372; Giard, Lyon, 18, pl. IX; Biaggi 109; Calicó 212. 7.78g, 20mm, 6h.

638. 4,200

Acquired from Nomisma S.p.a.; Ex Swiss collection, formed in mid 20th century, Leu Numismatik AG, Web Auction 12, 30 May 2020, lot 1054.

640.

Augustus AR Denarius. Lugdunum, 15-13 BC. AVGVSTVS DIVI•F, bare head to right / Bull butting to right; IMP•X in exergue. RIC I 167a; BMCRE 451; Lyon 19; RSC 137. 3.80g, 18mm, 6h.

Extremely Fine.

Augustus AR Denarius. Lugdunum, 15-13 BC. AVGVSTVS DIVI•F, bare head to right / Bull butting to right; IMP•X in exergue. RIC I 167a; BMCRE 451; Lyon 19; RSC 137. 3.80g, 18mm, 6h.

Extremely Fine.

From a private European collection.

600

Augustus AR Denarius. Lugdunum, 15-13 BC. AVGVSTVS DIVI F, bare head to right / Bull butting to left; IMP X in exergue. RIC I 169; BMCRE 458; RSC 141. 3.78g, 19mm, 9h.

Extremely Fine. Rare with bull to left.

From a private European collection. 300

642.

Augustus AR Denarius. Lugdunum, 10 BC. AVGVSTVS DIVI F, laureate head to right / Diana Venatrix, wearing long hunting tunic and low polos on head, advancing to right, drawing an arrow from quiver slung behind her and holding bow; IMP-XI[I] across fields, SICIL in exergue. RIC I 197a; BMCRE 490 = BMCRR Gaul 192-3; BN 1438-42; Lyon 57; RSC 172. 3.82g, 18mm, 9h.

Good Very Fine. Very Rare.

From a private European collection.

Ex Bank Leu 28, 1981

643.

Divus Augustus Ӕ Sestertius. Rome, AD 35-36. DIVO AVGVSTO S P Q R, OB CIVES SER written in three lines on shield, surrounded by oak-wreath and supported by two capricorns set on globe / TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST P M TR POT XXXVII around large SC. RIC I 63 (Tiberius); C. 303; BMCRE 109 (Tiberius). 27.77g, 34mm, 2h.

Good Extremely Fine; splendid Tiber patina. Scarce, and possibly the finest known example.

Ex Bank Leu AG, Auction 28, 5 May 1981, lot 364.

Tiberius AV Aureus. Lugdunum, AD 14-37. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head to right / PONTIF MAXIM, Livia, as Pax, seated to right on throne with ornamented legs, holding sceptre and olive branch; single exergual line below. RIC I 29 corr. (ornamented legs); BMCRE 46-47; Lyon 147; Calicó 305c. 7.85g, 20mm, 11h.

Extremely Fine; small edge nick.

From a private European collection.

Nero Claudius Drusus (father of Claudius) Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 41-50. NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP, bare head to left / TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP, emperor seated to left on curule chair, holding branch, arms at base; SC below. RIC I 93 (Claudius); C. 8; BMCRE 157 (Claudius) corr. (rev. type). 27.78g, 35mm, 6h.