The Stack’s Bowers Galleries August ANA World’s Fair of Money World Coin live auction sessions have ended, and what a tremendous event it was! Even though these live sessions have closed, there is still time to own an item from this remarkable sale. Our ancient coin Internet Session (Session D) ends Tuesday August 12 at exactly 3 PM PST. Be sure to place your bids early! There are many treasures to be found within this session, including a Denarius commemorating the Second Triumvirate of Caesar Octavian, Marc Antony and Lepidus. This official political alliance ruled for nearly ten years, and marked a significant point in the decline of the Roman Republic. The Triumvirs were given (or rather, took) extreme levels of executive power, and placed themselves above the consuls, the highest elected office of the decaying Republic.
This coin marks two of the most influential Romans of the age, Marc Antony and Octavian, nephew and heir to the murdered Julius Caesar. Octavian would exit the Triumvirate ahead of his former colleagues, and would go on to adopt the name Augustus and rule as the first true Emperor of Rome. This coin depicts the bare head of Marc Antony facing right, with the formal title: “M. ANTON. IMP. III. VIR. R.P.C.” These abbreviations stand for: Marcus Antonius Imperator, “One of Three Men for the Regulation of the Republic”. The title indicates a benign ideal for their power grab, but history proves otherwise. The reverse contains an effigy of the young Octavian, bare headed, facing right. His titles: “CAESAR. IMP. PONT. III. VIR. R.P.C.” Octavian’s use of Caesar (his adopted name) is a clear desire to associate himself with his much beloved uncle. He also earned the title “Imperator” and, as a member of the Triumvirate, the title “One of Three Men for the Regulation of the Republic” is depicted as well. Less than a decade later these two men would find themselves on the opposite ends of the battlefield, but that is a tale for a different coin and a different article.
This coin is a piece of history from the twilight of the Roman Republic, and represents the Roman Imperatorial period quite well. This coin is reasonably affordable given its vast historical and numismatic importance. Be sure to check out our August ANA ancient coin Internet Session (Session D) which will end on Tuesday August 12 at 3 PM PST. Get your bids in and become a part of this monumental sale before time runs out. For details please refer to the Events Calendar link at www.StacksBowers.com. While our Stack’s Bowers Galleries August ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction is closed for further consignments, we are currently taking consignments of ancient and world coins for our November 2014 official auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo and our 2015 January New York International auction. We are also taking consignments of Asian coins and currency for the inaugural December 2014 Macau Showcase Auction. Time is running short, so if you are interested in consigning your coins and paper currency (whether a whole collection or a single rarity) be sure to contact one of our consignment directors.
