Lot 4350

Description

Augustus, (27 B.C. - A.D. 14), silver cistophorus, Ephesus mint, issued 24-20 B.C., Sutherland Group VI, (11.90 g), obv. IMP CAE SAR, bare head to right of Augustus, rev. AVGVSTVS above garlanded altar ornamented with two stags, (S.1587, RIC 482, SNG Von Post 544, RSC 33, BMC 262, Sutherland `The Cistophori of Augustus', Group VI). Attractive blue grey patination, extremely fine and very rare in this condition.

In his exhaustive treatment of the series Sutherland recorded 115 coins of this type from 71 obverse and 98 reverse dies from all sources, (auction sales, dealer lists, public and private collection and hoards etc). The entire series of Augustan cistophori with all the different reverses in Sutherland amount to only 670 coins. The reverse with the garlanded altar is a reference to a local altar at Ephesus.