Octavian, as Imperator (43-27 BC), with Divus Julius Caesar (died 44 BC)
Vienna, Gaul (Vienne, France)
AE “Halved” Dupondius, Struck 36 BC
Obverse: [•IMP• above, DIVI•IULI•CAESAR left and below, DIVI•F• right], bare heads of Julius Caesar facing left, [and Octavian facing right, back to back].
Reverse: Prow of quinquireme right, decorated with eye; mast right; [surmounted with multi-story forecastle and standard or corvus above]; [C•I•V above.]
References: RPC I 517, SNG Copenhagen 703
Size: 30mm, 7.44g

­­Notes: A scarce and unusual coin struck in Southern Gaul in the Roman Colony of Vienna (Vienne, FR; Vienna, AU was known by Romans as Vindobona). Vienna was conquered by the Romans in 121 BC, and was transformed into an official Roman colony in 47 BC by Julius Caesar.

Those expelled during a revolt in 61 BC ended up founding Lugdunum (Lyon FR). Lugdunum would become more important  than Vienna. Lugdunum would later (69 AD) plead to Vitellius to destroy Vienna, which did not happen.

The reverse of this coin could refer to one of several naval actions in 36 BC, but the most likely to which it alludes is the action of Sept 3^rd, when Agrippa defeated Sextus Pompey in a major naval engagement off Naulochus in Sicily.

On Jan 1st 42 BC, the senate posthumously elevated Julius Caesar to Imperial God, “Divus Julius”. As Caesar’s adopted heir, Octavian was quick to emphasize that this made him “Divi filius”: the son of a god.