Marc Antony, as Imperator and Triumvir (43-30 BC). AR denarius (20mm, 12h). NGC VF. Legionary issue, mint traveling with Antony in Greece (Aegae or Patrae), 32-31 BC. ANT•AVG-III•VIR•R•P•C, war galley under oar right with triple ram prow and scepter tied with fillet / LEG-XIX, aquila between two standards. Crawford 544/35. Sydenham 1242. CRI 378. From the Bacchus Collection Legio undevigesima (XIX) was founded in 41 or 40 BC in Sicily by Octavian, likely to deal with Sextus Pompey, and settled in 30 BC near Pisa. It never served under command of Marc Antony and the Legio XIX represented on this issue must be one of the legions formed by Antony, who simply copied many of the legion numbers already in use. According to David Sear in 'Coinage of the Roman Imperators'"an Antonian Legion which was disbanded or lost its separate identity after Actium." The Legio XIX formed under Octavian went on to become part of the unfortunate legacy of Publius Quinctilius Varus and the disaster of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where Legions XVII, XVIII and XIX were annihilated and never reformed.

HID09801242017

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