558
Vespasian (AD 69-79), Æ Sestertius, 26.9g. Mint of Rome, AD 71.
IMP CAES VESPAS AVG P M TR P
P P COS III
, laureate head facing right. Rev.
SALVS AVGVSTA, S C
in exergue, Salus seated left, holding
patera and sceptre (RIC 246; BN 535). Uniform dark brown patina, about extremely fine, a very choice
example.
$ 7,000
ASuperb ‘Family Denarius’ of Vespasian
559
Vespasian (AD 69-79), with Titus and Domitian, as Caesars, Silver Denarius, 3.53g. Mint of Ephesus, AD 71.
IMP CAESAR VESPAS AVG COS III TR P P P
, laureate head facing right. Rev.
AVG VESPAS
above,
LIBERI
IMP
below, confronted bare heads of Titus and Domitian,
E
[
PHE
] between (RIC 1429; RPC 831; BMC 455;
RSC 2a). Boldly struck in high relief, all three portraits are incredibly sharp, lustre still present and lightly
toned, superb extremely fine.
Rare.
$ 10,000
ex NAC Auction 46, 2 April 2008, lot 528
560
Vespasian (AD 69-79), Silver Denarius, 3.09g. Mint of Rome, AD 76.
IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG
,
laureate head facing right. Rev.
COS VII
, eagle standing facing on garlanded cippus, head left (RIC 847; BMC
180; RSC 121). Boldly struck in high relief on a large flan and perfectly centred, the surfaces lustrous and
delicately toned, nearly mint state.
$ 2,500
The principate of Vespasian brought much needed stability to the Empire after Nero’s reign and the subsequent civil wars of AD
68-69. Vespasian settled disturbances in Judaea and in Britain, as well as smaller uprisings in Cyprus and Egypt. He rebuilt much of
Rome, still largely ruined from the devastating fire that swept the city in AD 64, and he extended the citizenship of the Empire. The
reverse of this coin is a stock type which alludes to this Flavian peace and prosperity, and perhaps implies the hand of Jupiter Optimus
Maximus (Jupiter, Best and Greatest) to whom Vespasian had paid particular attention, re-consecrating his temple in AD 70.
