Augustus

Denarius · Silver

RIC I² 267

Obverse

Head of Octavian, bare, right

Reverse

Triumphal arch surmounted by quadriga in which Octavian stands

Historical Note

The triumphal arch surmounted by Octavian in a quadriga is among the earliest Augustan coin types, dating to c. 29 BC and celebrating the triple triumph for Illyricum, Egypt, and the East. The arch depicted is probably the Actian arch erected in the Roman Forum. Octavian's presence in the quadriga — before he took the name Augustus in 27 BC — dates this type to the immediate aftermath of Actium.