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As - Vitellius VICTOR AVGVS S C, Victory
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 69 |
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| Currency | Denarius, Reform of Augustus (27 BC – AD 215) |
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| Obverse description | Laureate head of Emperor Vitellius facing right, rendered in high relief with characteristic heavy jowls and thick neck, typical of his portraiture on imperial coinage. The effigy is bare-necked with the laurel wreath clearly defined around the head. A circular Latin legend surrounds the portrait within a beaded border, reading A VITELLIVS GERMAN IMP AVG P M TR P. The flan exhibits an irregular, somewhat crude hammered fabric consistent with the brief and turbulent reign of Vitellius in AD 69. |
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| Reverse description | The goddess Victory, draped and winged, advances left in a dynamic pose, affixing a large oval shield to a trophy erected from captured arms. At the base of the trophy, a captive enemy figure is seated left upon a globe, symbolizing Roman dominance over conquered peoples. The senatorial authority mark S C (Senatus Consultum) appears in the field on either side of the central composition, denoting that this bronze issue was struck by decree of the Senate. The reverse type is emblematic of Vitellius's military origins and his elevation to power by the Rhine legions. |
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| Additional information |
Vitellius held power for only eight months in 69 AD, the Year of the Four Emperors, before his forces collapsed against the Flavian advance and he was killed in the streets of Rome in December. His bronze coinage was struck at Rome during a reign too short and too chaotic to produce large volumes, yet propaganda output was relentless — the Victory reverse type was deployed almost immediately to legitimize a man whose claim rested entirely on the Rhine legions' acclamation rather than any Senate mandate.
RIC I 151 is among the more frequently encountered of his aes issues, suggesting reasonable output before the mint effectively changed hands to Vespasian.