Denarius of Augustus

Kevin Welsh sent in the images of this coin and asked me to let him have a full ID. Kevin’s find is a Roman denarius, which dates from the early years of the Imperial Period.

On the obverse is a head facing right with a lituus (a staff used in religious ceremonies) behind and if the full legend was visible then it would read AVGVSTVS (in front of the head).

On the reverse, pulled by four horses and facing right, is a chariot containing a single palm-branch. The legend on this side reads C MARIVS C F TRO III VIR.

The preceding information identifies this denarius as a coin of Augustus. It was struck at Rome during 13 BC.  The type is listed by David Sear in volume I of Roman Coins and Their Values as number 1598 and it is quite scarce.

The coin is rather bright and both sides look as if they have been subjected to harsh cleaning. However, silver coins that have been in soil containing a lot of clay for hundreds of years sometimes look like this.

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