BM Coin of Octavian and Caesar

BM Coin of Octavian and Caesar

around 38 BC, Roman Republic

Roman Republic under Octavian

Copper alloy

weight: 23.39 grams

Minted in: Europe, Italy

The British Museum, London, England

This coin features Octavian and the deified Caesar. Caesar was a Roman politician and general during the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. He was deified in 42 BC by the senate and was the uncle of Octavian. Octavian was the first Emperor of the Roman Empire, controlling Imperial Rome from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.

Description:
This copper alloy coin features on its obverse, the head of Octavian facing to the right. He is bearded and is surrounded by an inscription reading CAESAR DIVI F in Latin with the inscription content facing downwards. His neck is elongated, almost reaching the bottom of the coin. He has a broad head featuring comma locks and is portrayed youthfully. His face is stern with a large eye. He has a pointed nose and a small chin. His chin has a short beard of mourning.
The reverse features the head of Julius Caesar facing to the right wearing a laurel wreath. His hair is short and straight. The inscription reads DIVOS IVLIVS. His face is stern with large eyes and a large ear. He has a pointed nose and chin with a clean-shaven face.
Both sides of the coin contain a boarder of raised dots.

Significance:
The father-son connection of Octavian and Caesar is portrayed by the inscriptions, Caesar is titled "Julius the god" and Octavian is titled "Caesar son of the god". On coinage, he uses the term DIVI IVLI F (son of the divine Julius) to emphasize the link between Caesar's divinity and himself. Caesar on this coin is deified and was proclaimed a god by the Senate in 42 BC. The coin features symbols of victory the laurel crown, suggesting that they were made after Actium in 31 BC. However, other scholars note that in 36 BC Agrippa, Octavian's forces won a great sea victory off Sicily in a battle for political power. The symbols of victory could refer to his Actium victory, or to victories of an earlier date, making, such as this coin difficult to have a precise date. This coin demonstrates the propagandistic capacity of Rome's coinage. It was used as a tool by Octavian to advertise his adoption as Caesar's son and attests his claim to power. His coin follows the tradition set by Caesar of the inclusion of the living on the coinage.

"Coin." British Museum, The British Museum , www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1193367&partId=1.

Kleiner, Diana E. E. Roman Sculpture . Yale, 1994.

Anna Nielsen