The curule chair (sella curulis) was a significant symbol in Roman politics because of the authority it represented. For example, when the young Octavian was seeking to validate his claim to political power in the years immediately following the assassination of Julius Caesar, he minted this coin (c. 42 BCE) with his image and a depiction of the sella curulis. The empty stool holds Caesar's golden laurel wreath and is inscribed with the words “CAESAR DIC[tator] PER[petuus].”