Deified Julius Caesar

CNG 108, Lot: 449. Estimate $300. Sold for $950. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

MACEDON, Thessalonica(?). Augustus, with Divus Julius Caesar. 27 BC-AD 14. Æ (21mm, 7.74 g, 6h). ΘEOC, bare head of Divus Julius Caesar right / CEBACTOY ΘE, bare head of Augustus right. BMC 61; Varbanov 4154; RPC I 5421 (uncertain mint). Good VF, glossy dark green patina, some light smoothing and cleaning marks. Rare.

From the Belgica Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 75 (23 May 2007), lot 798.

An enigmatic coin. Head (BMC) assigned this issue to Thessalonica, but Touratsoglou (Die Münzstätte von Thessaloniki in der römischen Kaiserzeit [1988], p. 43, no. 69) rejected this attribution, instead suggesting an uncertain mint in Asia Minor. Nonetheless, the coins are similar to the Thessalonican issues with Divus Julius Caesar/Augustus, which Touratsoglou attributed to the time of Domitian (RPC dates these to the time of Augustus). The question hinges on what to make of the ΘE in the reverse legend: does it function as an abbreviation for ΘEΣΣAΛONIKEΩN or does it identify Augustus as a θεος, thus indicating this issue was struck after his death?

It should be noted the die links claimed in CNG 75 are erroneous, and there is no clear indication that the reverse legend was recut. Thus the present piece offers no conclusive evidence that this issue was struck in Thessalonica, as was stated in the 2007 sale.