Augustus Coins

Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD) founded the Roman Principate and oversaw the most varied coinage programme of the early empire. His mints at Rome and Lugdunum produced gold aurei and silver denarii in quantity, while a network of provincial and local mints struck bronze asses, dupondii, and sestertii across the Mediterranean. Augustan coinage is distinguished by its political messaging: reverse types celebrate military victories, the establishment of peace, dynastic succession through Gaius and Lucius Caesar, and the divine associations that legitimised one-man rule. Portrait styles evolved across the reign, from youthful idealised busts in the triumviral period to the classicised laureate head familiar from later issues. Key catalog references are RIC I (second edition, Sutherland 1984) for imperial issues, and RSC/BMCRE for cross-referencing. Collectors will encounter the largest number of types from Lugdunum and Rome; eastern mint issues (Ephesus, Pergamum, uncertain Asian mints) are scarcer and harder to attribute. The denomination range is broad — from gold aurei at the top to tiny bronze quadrantes — making Augustus one of the most accessible and rewarding rulers to collect across every budget level.