OCTAVIAN & JULIUS CAESAR AE Sestertius
$99.00
Apr-05-00

     This coin was minted circa 38 BC under the authority of Octavian,
     who was the declared heir of Julius Caesar, and who campaigned
     against Mark Antony following Caesar's death to determine the
     fate of the Roman world. Antony's defeat at Actium in 31 BC left
     Octavian as master of the entire Roman world. He would be given
     the title Augustus by the Senate in 27 BC, and this is the title
     he was known by from that point onward. It has been said of
     Augustus that he 'found Rome made of brick, and left it made of
     marble'. This piece was minted in honor of Julius Caesar, his
     political benefactor. Caesar was born in 100 BC, and was, of
     course, assassinated on the Ides of March, 44 BC. He began his
     political career as a young man, opposing the dictatorship of
     Sulla. He became a prominent figure in the Roman aristocracy, and
     was elected consul in 59 BC, after having formed the first
     triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus. He campaigned in Gaul almost
     continuously between 58 and 50 BC, and he would also lead an
     expedition to Britain in 55-54 BC. He defeated Pompey at
     Pharsalus in 48 BC, and would spend the next two years defeating
     the remnants of the Pompeian party. He returned to Rome the
     undisputed master of the Roman world, but would hold supreme
     power for only a brief period before his assassination. The
     obverse of this type depicts the bare head of Octavian facing
     right, with legend CAESAR before, and DIVI.F. behind. The reverse
     type features the laureate head of Julius Caesar facing right,
     with legends DIVOS before, and IVLIVS behind. This piece shows
     heavy wear and a lightly granular tan patina, and grades G, with
     major devices clearly visible, and the DIVI.F. of the obverse
     legend readable. Still a decent and very affordable example of
     this rare and highly sought after type, the only imperial
     sestertius available with a portrait of Julius Caesar. It is
     catalogued as Sear-465.