Augustus Gold Aureus, RIC I (second edition) Augustus 85A

Monetary Context and the Augustan Currency Reform

The introduction of the aureus within the nascent Augustan monetary system represented the institutionalization of gold as a foundational pillar of imperial Roman state finance. Following the civil wars that concluded the Roman Republic, Augustus embarked on a restructuring of the coinage system that established fixed tariff relationships across gold, silver, brass, and copper denominations. Under this framework, the gold aureus was tariffed at twenty-five silver denarii or one hundred sestertii, representing a substantial unit of wealth that was primarily employed for large-scale state expenditures, military disbursements, and imperial reserves. Aurei struck in the late 20s and early teens BC, such as RIC I (second edition) Augustus 85A, maintained an average weight standard of roughly 7.85 to 7.95 grams, reflecting an approximate standard of forty-two coins struck to the Roman pound. The production of precious metal issues in western provincial mints during this era bridged the gap between the ad hoc military issues of the triumviral triumvirs and the eventual centralized production that characterized the later Principate. Augustus utilized gold issues not merely as economic instruments of state payments but as sophisticated vehicles for political messaging, broadcasting themes of peace, constitutional restoration, and national vindication across the Roman world.

Production and Mint Attribution at Colonia Patricia

Numismatic scholarship, pioneered in modern corpus arrangements by C. H. V. Sutherland in the revised first volume of Roman Imperial Coinage and supported by Harold Mattingly in earlier British Museum catalogues, attributes RIC 85A to the mint of Colonia Patricia, modern Cordoba in southern Spain. Earlier twentieth-century numismatists often classified these Spanish precious metal series under general headings such as mint in Spain or connected them broadly with Caesaraugusta or Emerita. However, detailed stylistic analyses of portraiture, die link networks, and letterforms led Sutherland to group a major series of aurei and denarii under Colonia Patricia. The facility operated intensively between approximately 19 BC and 16 BC, producing high-relief, refined dies that rivaled and frequently exceeded the aesthetic quality of the contemporary urban mint at Rome. Spanish production was strategically advantageous due to the proximity of the wealthy silver and gold mining districts of the Iberian Peninsula, which provided abundant bullion for imperial minting. Production employed skilled engravers influenced by classicizing Hellenistic traditions, characterized by crisp lettering, clean flan preparation, and carefully centered strikes designed to maintain consistent weight and purity.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC I (second edition) Augustus 85A presents a bare head of Augustus facing right, rendered in a restrained, classicizing style that became the hallmark of Augustan court art in the decade following the settlement of 27 BC. Breaking away from the severe, veristic portraiture typical of late Republican numismatics, this portrait portrays the princeps with idealized, calm facial features, prominent cheekbones, and carefully arranged locks of hair that curl gently across the forehead and nape of the neck. The lack of any civic crown, laurel wreath, or divine attribute emphasizes his civilian leadership and role as first citizen rather than a monarchical ruler. The surrounding legend, CAESAR AVGVSTVS, is arranged along the perimeter of the field within a fine border of dots. The engraving of the Spanish series is recognized for its shallow yet precise relief, providing a dignified and serene countenance that reinforced the stability and divine favor associated with the Augustan regime.

Reverse Typology and the Recovery of the Standards

The reverse design of the type is dedicated to one of the paramount diplomatic victories of Augustus's early reign: the peaceful retrieval in 20 BC of the Roman military standards previously captured by the Parthian Empire. In the center of the field stands a round shield, identified as the Clipeus Virtutis, bearing the incuse inscription CL V. This honorific golden shield had been awarded to Augustus by the Senate in 27 BC in recognition of his virtue, clemency, justice, and piety. Flanking the central shield are two iconic military symbols: to the left stands an aquila, the legionary eagle standard representing the honor and cohesion of the legions, while to the right stands a tall military signum, a standard adorned with phalerae and banners. Arranged around the central composition and in the open spaces of the field are the letters S P Q R, denoting the authority of the Senatus Populusque Romanus. The composition ingeniously merges two distinct sources of civic and military legitimacy: the Senate's formal honors to the princeps and the restoration of national honor through the recovery of the standards, framing the diplomatic resolution with Parthia as a supreme military triumph achieved without shedding Roman blood.

Epigraphy and Titular Legend Analysis

The epigraphic program of RIC 85A is concise and highly charged with political meaning. On the obverse, the legend CAESAR AVGVSTVS presents the primary nomen and the sacred cognomen conferred upon Octavian in 27 BC. The omission of traditional republican magistracies, such as consulships or the tribunician power, concentrates the message on the moral authority and unique personal stature of the ruler. On the reverse, the upper legend SIGNIS RECEPTIS translates directly as 'the standards having been recovered', a bold ablative absolute construction that declares the successful resolution of the long-standing Parthian disgrace. The abbreviation CL V on the round shield stands for Clipeus Virtutis, directly recalling the shield displayed in the Curia Julia. The surrounding letters S P Q R (Senatus Populusque Romanus) underscore that these achievements were acknowledged, celebrated, and commemorated in full partnership with the traditional governing bodies of Rome. Letterforms on the Spanish dies are typically sharp and proportional, with well-formed serifs and consistent spacing that exemplify the mature Augustan epigraphic style.

Typological Variations and Chronological Placement

RIC I (second edition) Augustus 85A belongs to an extensive group of precious metal coins celebrating the Parthian settlement, struck across multiple mints between 19 BC and 16 BC. At Colonia Patricia, the SIGNIS RECEPTIS design was produced in both gold aurei and silver denarii, featuring minor iconographic variations across related catalogue entries. While type 85A is distinguished by the bare head facing right, related issues feature Augustus wearing an oak wreath (corona civica) or facing left, such as RIC 84 and RIC 85B. Similarly, the silver denarius counterparts (such as RIC 86 and 87) mirror this exact reverse iconography on a smaller flan. The chronological positioning of type 85A is securely fixed to circa 19 BC, immediately following Augustus's return from the East and the public reception of the standards in Rome. This Spanish emission represents the initial phase of western gold production for the type, preceding the comprehensive transfer of imperial gold and silver coinage to Lugdunum around 15 to 12 BC.

Circulation, Hoard Contexts, and Economic Role

Due to their high intrinsic value, aurei like RIC 85A circulated in very different economic channels than daily bronze and silver coinage. Gold coins were infrequently used in day-to-day market transactions; instead, they functioned as major stores of wealth, instruments for paying high-ranking military officers, and vehicles for interstate or interprovincial commerce. As a result, aurei of this series show lower velocity of circulation and are commonly discovered in hoards alongside later Augustan and Julio-Claudian gold issues. Spanish gold issues circulated broadly throughout the western provinces, including Hispania, Gaul, and Italy, reflecting the extensive mobility of imperial administration and military detachments. While individual specimens may exhibit light wear from extended hoarding and occasional transfers, the type was protected from severe debasement until later in the imperial period, allowing surviving examples to maintain high metallurgical purity and preserve the fine technical details of the Spanish die engravers.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume I: Augustus to Vitellius. pp. cxi-cxv, 68-71
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE): RIC I (second edition) Augustus 85A. RIC I (second edition) Augustus 85A
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I: From 31 BC to AD 69 (Revised Edition). pp. 48-50, no. 85A