★ An extremely rare aureus in the name of Divus Augustus ★

Forces of Galba in Spain. In the name of Divus Augustus, died AD 14. Aureus (Gold, 19 mm, 7.07 g, 5 h), uncertain mint in Spain. Group A.VII, 3 April-2nd half of June 68. DIVVS AVGVSTVS Radiate head of Divus Augustus to right. Rev. PAX Pax standing front, head to left, holding caduceus in her right hand and grain ears and poppies in her left. BMC 58 corr. (PAX not PAX P R). Calicó 454. CG 165.1 ( this coin ). Cohen 221 ('Augustus'). Martin A 24. Nicolas -. RIC 114. Extremely rare, one of just six known examples. Plugged hole at 6 o'clock on the obverse, otherwise, good fine.

From the collection of Dipl.-Ing. Christian Gollnow, ex Rauch 105, 16 November 2017, 263.

Stylistically reminiscent of the coinage struck by Gaius (Caligula) for his great-grandfather Augustus, the extremely rare civil war aurei in the name of Divus Augustus can conclusively be attributed to a Spanish mint through the appearance of Hispania as a reverse type (see Martin A 12 and RIC 112). Like all civil war gold coinage, both recorded types are extremely rare: Gollnow recorded seven examples of the Hispania-reverse and six of the present issue with Pax. Only four of these thirteen aurei are in private hands today.