Augustus, 27 BC - 14 CE. Cistophorus 25-20 BC, Ephesus. IMP CAESAR Bare head right / AVGV - STVS Six bunched corn-ears. 11,70g. Cohen 32; RIC 494; Sutherland Group IV. A splendid specimen. Good extremely fine. Provenance: Sternberg XIV (24 May 1984), 258. Privately purchased from Vinchon in October 1985. Lanz 94 (22 November 1999), 5. Privately purchased from NGSA in 2008. Baron Lorne Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. The reverse of this cistophorus conveys a particularly interesting message of propaganda: the emperor emphasizes his ability to feed and provide for his people. To achieve this, Pompey and later Augustus had fought for years to suppress piracy in the Mediterranean, thereby securing the vital supply routes between Rome and the fertile provinces of the East. By guaranteeing the food supply of Rome and its population of nearly one million inhabitants, the emperor could secure social stability and preserve peace.