Pre-Long Beach Auction #80

Vespasian. Silver Denarius (3.09 g), AD 69-79. Rome, AD 76. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head of Vespasian right. Reverse 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 centered. The surfaces are lustrous and delicately toned. Nearly Mint State.

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.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500.