Augustus (27 BC-AD 14). AR denarius (19mm, 4.11 gm, 4h). NGC Choice AU S 5/5 - 5/5. Rome, ca. 19-18 BC. TVRPILIANVS-•III VIR• / FE-RON, draped bust of Feronia right, seen from front, wearing necklace and mural stephane / CAESAR-AVGVSTVS SIGN•RECE•, Parthian kneeling right, presenting standard and vexillum decorated with X on banner. RIC I 288. Captivating detail embellished by autumnal toning. This reverse type celebrates the recovery by Augustus of the legionary standards lost to the Parthians through the disastrous campaigns of Crassus and Mark Antony in 53 and 36 BC. Augustus accomplished this triumph through diplomacy backed by military muscle. In 20 BC, Augustus embarked on a tour of the eastern provinces while his stepson Tiberius led a large army into Armenia, which had recently risen in revolt against its Parthian-installed king, Artaxes. Tiberius drove Artaxes into exile and crowned in his place Tigranes, who had been living as an honored exile in Rome for 10 years. The Parthians reacted meekly to this show of force and handed over the Roman standards that had been prized possessions for many decades. Also of interest is the bust of a goddess identified as Feronia on the obverse. Feronia is an early Italic goddess worshipped by the Sabines and by the Roman plebs as a guarantor of their liberties. Her bust appears on several coins struck by this moneyer, P. Petronius Turpilianus, suggesting his family regarded her as a patron deity. HID09801242017 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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