Kyzikos (BC 27-AD 14) AE 16 - Augustus

Augustus, 27 BC-14 AD. AE16 (1.82g, 12h). Bare male head right / Bare male head right. VF, green patina. Ex Wagner Coll.

The attribution of a specific Julio-Claudian prince to each of these portraits remains a matter of conjecture. Mionnet believed them to be portraits of Gaius and Lucius Caesars, an interpretation the authors of RPC believed quite plausible. They do note, however, that the index to the von Aulock collection interprets this issue both as Gaius and Lucius, and Drusus and Germanicus, all of whom became potential heirs to the imperial throne. Barring any more conclusive evidence, the matter will remain unresolved.