Mark Antony and Octavia, 40-35 BC. Sestertius (Bronze, 32 mm, 12.76 g, 10 h), 'Fleet coinage', uncertain mint in Syria, with L. Calpurnius Bibulus, 38-37 BC. M•ANT•IMP•TER•[COS•DES•ITER•ET•TER•III•VIR•R•P•C] Bare head of Mark Antony, on the left, facing draped bust of Octavia, on the right. Rev. [L•BIBVLVS•M•F]•PR•DESIG Mark Antony and Octavia riding a quadriga of hippocamps to right; to left, [IIS]; below, Δ and astragalus. M. Amandry: Le monnayage en bronze de Bibulus, Atratinus and Capito, in: SNR 65 (1986), A.1 and pl. 9, A.1. Babelon (Antonia) 81. RPC I 4088. Sydenham 1255. Of the highest rarity. Halved in antiquity, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.
The 'Fleet coinage' of Mark Antony with L. Calpurnius Bibulus is of the highest rarity, with only a single example appearing on the market in the past two decades (NAC 59, 4 April 2011, 858). Our piece, which is in excellent condition, was halved in antiquity to create smaller change, much like the commonly halved and quartered Nemausus-asses of Augustus and Agrippa