Mark Antony and Octavian Silver Denarius Crawford 529/3

Monetary and Historical Context

The production of Crawford 529/3 in 39 BC occurred within the volatile political environment of the Second Triumvirate, established by the Lex Titia in 43 BC. Following the armed clash of the Perusine War in 41-40 BC between Octavian and Antony's brother Lucius Antonius, the Roman world stood on the verge of renewed civil war. The Pact of Brundisium, concluded in late 40 BC, temporarily reconciled Antony and Octavian, dividing administrative spheres between the East and the West and sealing the pact with Antony's marriage to Octavia. In the spring of 39 BC, the two leaders met again with Sextus Pompey at Misenum to secure maritime supply routes and alleviate acute grain shortages in Rome. This silver denarius was struck directly within this diplomatic framework to demonstrate collegiality and mutual recognition between the two imperators. In late Republican monetary policy, the silver denarius was the indispensable currency for paying military legions, satisfying fleet expenditures, and distributing triumviral bonuses. Striking shared portrait coinage served as an overt instrument of statecraft, assuring soldiers and citizens alike that the factional leaders stood united at the head of the Roman state.

Production and Mint Attribution

Like many military coinages of the imperatorial period, Crawford 529/3 lacks an explicit mint mark or civic signature. Michael Crawford catalogued the issue under an uncertain military mint, reflecting the peripatetic nature of triumviral coin manufacture. Scholarly opinion generally links the production to an itinerant military workshop operating in Italy, potentially accompanying Mark Antony or moving between key operational centers such as Brundisium, Rome, or southern Italian transit ports during the conferences of 40 and 39 BC. The technical manufacturing technique mirrors standard Republican minting practices: cast blank flans were manually struck between engraved intaglio dies. The die axes for this series are variable, though predominantly showing upright or inverted orientations characteristic of manual alignment. Output was substantial enough to supply multiple active legions, evidenced by several recorded obverse and reverse die combinations across international collections.

Obverse Design and Iconography

The obverse of Crawford 529/3 is dominated by the right-facing bare head of Mark Antony. His portrait is rendered in the veristic style favored by late Republican gem-engravers and moneyers, characterized by a heavy, aquiline profile, a robust jawline, and cropped hair. Placing a living leader's portrait upon state currency had been initiated by Julius Caesar in 44 BC and was enthusiastically adopted by the triumvirs to establish personal authority over their respective legions. The portrait of Antony on the obverse claims the position of senior imperator and triumvir, reflecting his preeminent military stature following Philippi. Surrounding the portrait is the abbreviated title ANTONIVS IMP, engraved in clean Republican capitals along the outer border, which is enclosed by a fine linear or beaded circle.

Reverse Design and Iconography

The reverse presents a complementary right-facing bare head of Octavian, then known officially as Gaius Julius Caesar. Rendered with youthful, idealized features that contrast with Antony's rugged portraiture, Octavian's likeness features a slender neck, refined facial contours, and slightly tousled hair. Behind or around the portrait runs the legend CAESAR IMP, terminating the dual-portrait scheme. The pairing of both leaders on opposite faces of a single flan was an intentional ideological statement. Neither leader was subordinate in the physical composition: while Antony occupied the traditional obverse face, Octavian claimed the reverse as Caesar's adoptive son and legitimate heir, sharing the imperatorial title equally. The portrait design effectively disseminated Octavian's emerging visual identity throughout regions accustomed to Antony's dominance.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The epigraphic program of Crawford 529/3 is concise and strictly military. The obverse reads ANTONIVS IMP, an abbreviation for 'Antonius Imperator'. The reverse displays CAESAR·IMP, signifying 'Caesar Imperator'. Both leaders deliberately set aside their full formal magistracies on this issue, omitting the explicit triumviral title 'Triumvir Rei Publicae Constituendae' seen on other contemporary strikings. By restricting their titles to 'Imperator', both commanders emphasized their supreme military authority and their victorious status in arms, appealing directly to the legionary rank and file who comprised the primary recipients of the coinage. The lettering is cleanly cut with small triangular interpuncts, demonstrating consistent die engraving across the issue.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology established by Michael Crawford, entry 529 comprises a series of joint gold and silver strikings executed around 39 BC. Crawford 529/1 encompasses the gold aurei sharing the dual-portrait motif, while Crawford 529/2 and 529/3 represent the silver denarii. Crawford 529/3 represents a specific subtype distinguished within the corpus by distinct die arrangements and portrait rendering, closely aligned with Sydenham 1188 and related entries. While Crawford dated the issue firmly to 39 BC in connection with the post-Brundisium settlements and the Pact of Misenum, some earlier numismatists, including Edward Sydenham, placed the commencement of these joint issues slightly earlier, in late 40 BC. The consensus remains centered on 39 BC, reflecting the diplomatic consolidation following the treaties.

Circulation and Monetary Survival

Struck to fund triumviral operations, Crawford 529/3 circulated broadly across Italy, the Adriatic, and the Mediterranean provinces. Because the coin maintained the standard Republican purity of high-grade silver, it was eagerly accepted alongside older civic denarii. Hoard evidence indicates that joint triumviral denarii continued to circulate for decades, surviving through the final war of Actium in 31 BC and well into the Julio-Claudian principate. Many recovered specimens exhibit heavy wear, Banker's marks (graffiti or test cuts applied by money-changers to confirm solid silver core), and evidence of prolonged circulation. Over time, large numbers were melted down during the monetary reforms of Nero and Trajan, leaving surviving specimens as essential primary documents of late Republican political negotiation.

References

1. Roman Republican Coinage. p. 531, no. 529/3
2. Coinage of the Roman Republic Online: RRC 529/3. rrc-529.3
3. The History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators 49-27 BC. pp. 180-184, no. 328
4. The Coinage of the Roman Republic. pp. 192-193, nos. 1188-1189