Editing Augustalis (section)

==History==
{{see also|History of coins in Italy}}
It was issued by [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], [[Holy Roman Emperor]] (from 1220) and [[King of Sicily]] (from 1198), and was minted until his death in 1250.<ref>{{cite book |last=Abulafia |first=David |author-link=David Abulafia |date=1992 |title=Frederick II: A Medieval Emperor |url={{Google books |id=sgufggLomo8C |page=222 |plainurl=yes}} |page=222 |edition=Oxford Paperbacks |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-508040-7 |quote=The ''augustalis'' continued to be struck in the ''regno'' throughout the rest of the reign, and was even continued by later kings.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Grierson |first1=Philip |author-link1=Philip Grierson |last2=Travaini |first2=Lucia |author-link2=Lucia Travaini |date=1998 |title=Medieval European Coinage. Volume 14: Italy III: South Italy, Sicily, Sardinia |url={{Google books |id=jgSNmsXG1jwC |page=187 |plainurl=yes}} |page=187 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-58231-5 |quote=Sambon and others have supposed that augustales in Frederick's name continued to be issued [by his successors] down to 1266, which is possible but unsupported by positive evidence.}}</ref> In addition, a half augustalis was issued. It was identical in design, but smaller and half the weight.<ref name=MECp172 /> The augustalis bore a [[Latin]] inscription and was widely circulated in Italy. It was patterned after the [[Roman coinage|Roman]] [[aureus]].<ref name=Brit>{{Britannica|42862|Augustale}} (2008). Retrieved 7 October 2008.</ref> It was [[Hammered coinage|struck]] at [[Naples]] starting from 1229,<ref>{{cite web|date=2025 |first=Simonluca |language=it |last=Perfetto |pp=1-5 |publisher=Eikon/Imago 14 |title=L'augustale federiciano: nuove prospettive |url=https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/EIKO/article/view/94774/4564456571974}}<!-- auto-translated from Italian by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> [[Brindisi]] and [[Messina]] starting from 1231, with accompanying [[Billon (alloy)|billon]] [[Denier (coin)|deniers]].<ref name=Brit /> The style of the augustalis has been described as splendid and proto-[[Renaissance]]; the quality of its execution and its [[fineness]] was high.<ref name=Brit /> The augustalis had a nominal weight of 5.31 grams and was 20{{frac|1|2}} [[Carat (purity)|carat]]s (854/1000) fine.<ref name=MECp172 /> The legal value was a quarter of a Sicilian gold [[Oncia|ounce]].<ref name=MECp172 />

The [[obverse]] contains a [[Classics|classical]] (not medieval) profile bust of the emperor wearing a laureate wreath with the legend CESAR AVG IMP ROM (Caesar Augustus, Emperor of the Romans); the [[Reverse (coin)|reverse]] shows an eagle, the imperial symbol, with the name FRIDE RICVS (Frederick).<ref>{{cite book |last=Abulafia |first=David |author-link=David Abulafia |date=1992 |title=Frederick II: A Medieval Emperor |url={{Google books |id=sgufggLomo8C |page=222 |plainurl=yes}} |page=222 |edition=Oxford Paperbacks |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-508040-7}} [Erratum: CESAR AVG misquoted as CESAVG.]</ref><ref name=MECp172>{{cite book |last1=Grierson |first1=Philip |author-link1=Philip Grierson |last2=Travaini |first2=Lucia |author-link2=Lucia Travaini |date=1998 |title=Medieval European Coinage. Volume 14: Italy III: South Italy, Sicily, Sardinia |url={{Google books |id=jgSNmsXG1jwC |page=172 |plainurl=yes}} |page=172 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-58231-5}} [Errata: Gold content of 4.33g should read 4.53g; obverse referred to as reverse, and vice versa; CESAR misquoted as CAESAR.]</ref> The name ''augustalis'' means literally "of the august one", referring to the coin's provenance from the emperor himself, but also linking it with the [[Roman Emperor]], who was commonly styled [[Augustus (honorific)|Augustus]].

It has recently been shown that the obverse shows the eagle, while the reverse features portraits of various Roman emperors. The order of the two is unmistakable, thanks to the text relating to the titles of Frederick II.<ref>{{cite web|date=2025 |first=Simonluca |language=it |last=Perfetto |pp=1-26 |publisher=Eikon/Imago 14 |title=L'augustale federiciano: nuove prospettive |url=https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/EIKO/article/view/94774/4564456571974}}<!-- auto-translated from Italian by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>