Roman Empire AUGUSTUS 27 BC - 14 AD AE17 ~ 18mm For Sale

This bronze AE17 coin dates to the reign of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire, who ruled from 27 BC to 14 AD. Struck during a transformative era, the coin features a bare-headed portrait of Augustus facing right, accompanied by the inscription “AVG,” a reference to his title Augustus, meaning “the revered one.” The reverse depicts a man with a club and two bulls, a rare and possibly symbolic provincial motif that may represent strength, fertility, or local cult imagery.

Augustus, born Gaius Octavius, rose to power after the assassination of Julius Caesar, his great-uncle and adoptive father. Following years of civil war, he consolidated control and ushered in the Pax Romana—a period of relative peace and prosperity across the Mediterranean world. His reign marked the end of the Roman Republic and the birth of imperial rule, with sweeping reforms in governance, infrastructure, and coinage. Coins like this served not only as currency but as tools of imperial propaganda, reinforcing Augustus’s image and authority throughout the provinces.