70, Lot: 1. GAUL, Narbo. Octavian. Circa 40 BC. 
      Æ As (30mm, 15.68 gm). Estimate $200. Sold for 
      $132. 

      GAUL, Narbo. Octavian. Circa 40 BC. Æ As (30mm, 
      15.68 gm). Bare head right / Prow of galley, 
      with superstructure and mast, right. RPC I 518; 
      Amandry, et al., "Notes de numismatique 
      narbonnaise. V. Les as d'Octave à la proue émis 
      à Narbonne en 40 avant J.-C.," RAN (1986), 
      57-77; FITA pp. 41-3. Fine, nice green patina. 
      Scarce.
      Until recently the identification of the mint 
      from which these asses were issued has been 
      debated. Grant, FITA pp. 41-3, attributed the 
      coins to Arles as he erroneously saw the letters 
      AR on a specimen in his collection. A small 
      hoard of these coins, found in 1973 at Narbonne, 
      has led to attribute the issue to a mint there. 
      These coins were probably struck in early to 
      mid-40 BC, when Octavian was in Gaul, or perhaps 
      in the autumn of that year when Agrippa took 
      command of that region. 
From CNG e-Auction #70, closed August 6, 2003; re-used By permission of CNG, www.cngcoins.com.