AR16 - Vespasian AVG

Vespasian's eastern mints were activated almost immediately after his acclamation by the Judaean legions in 69 AD, partly to pay troops who had backed his bid during the Year of the Four Emperors. Ephesus was the dominant mint in Asia Minor and struck silver for Vespasian across the early years of his reign, producing fabric and style noticeably distinct from Rome — flan preparation and die axis conventions differ enough that attribution is rarely in dispute.

At roughly half the weight of a standard denarius, this piece likely circulated as a hemidrachm within the Greek-currency framework still functioning across much of the eastern provinces in 71 AD.