| Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG > Online Auction 203 | Silver | Auction date: 24 March 2024 |
| Lot number: 434 Price realized: 500 EUR (Approx. 543 USD) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: Caligula AD 37-41. Struck AD 37-38. Rome Sestertius Æ 35 mm, 26,77 g C•CAESAR•AVG•GERMANICVS•P•M•TR•POT, Pietas seated to left, holding patera and resting arm on small draped standing figure; PIETAS in exergue / Emperor standing to left, holding patera over garlanded altar, flanked by victimarius holding bull for sacrifice and attendant holding a patera; garlanded hexastyle temple of Divus Augustus in background, pediment decorated with sacrificial scene, and with quadriga and Victories as acroteria, and statues of Romulus and Aeneas along roof line; DIVO-AVG S-C across fields. Nearly Very Fine RIC I 36; C. 11; BMCRE 41. Pietas, a paramount virtue in Roman culture, emphasized fulfilling responsibilities and fostering exemplary relations within family, towards gods, and the fatherland. The divine personification Pietas, often depicted on coins, symbolized this sacred duty, conducting a sacrifice. The Temple of Divus Augustus, erected to honor Augustus, stood between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills. While its Ionic hexastyle design is commonly depicted on coins, its exact dimensions remain unknown. Initiated by the Senate after Augustus' death in 14 CE, the temple was completed and dedicated by Caligula in 37 CE, emphasizing his legitimacy as Augustus' descendant and showcasing personal pietas. This coin's reverse commemorates the completion of the Temple of Divus Augustus on the Palatine Hill, coinciding with its striking. The temple was dedicated over the final two days of August, a month renamed in honor of Augustus. Caligula, serving as Pontifex Maximus, orchestrated elaborate sacrificial ceremonies, featuring a two-day horse race and the slaughter of 400 bears and wild beasts from Libya. The temple, documented until May AD 218, eventually met an unknown fate, likely being entirely dismantled, with its stones repurposed for subsequent constructions. Starting price: 200 EUR |  |
