Augustus

Denarius · Silver

RIC I² 254B

Obverse

Head of Octavian, bare, left

Reverse

Victory, draped, standing left on globe, holding wreath in right hand and palm in left

Historical Note

Victory standing on a globe proclaims world sovereignty — the globe underfoot means there is no territory beyond Rome's reach. The wreath and palm are the classic tokens of triumph. This image was central to post-Actium Augustan propaganda, which presented the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra as the beginning of a universal Roman peace.