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Denarius S P Q R, Hispania
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 68-69 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | A large, centrally placed round boss shield rendered in high relief, shown lying flat atop two crossed spears whose shafts extend toward the lower field. The concentric circular design of the shield, with a prominent central umbo, dominates the reverse composition and is enclosed within a beaded border. The legend S P Q R is inscribed around the upper periphery of the flan, identifying the issuing authority as the Senate and People of Rome. The bold, minimalist reverse design is consistent with the military and propagandistic imagery employed during the Year of the Four Emperors. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
This denarius belongs to the coinage struck in Spain — almost certainly at the moving military mint that accompanied Galba's legions as he marched from his governorship of Hispania Tarraconensis toward Rome in 68 AD. The SPQR types were part of a deliberate propaganda program: Galba needed his coins to project senatorial legitimacy before he'd set foot in the city, and the Senate's own authority was invoked on the dies precisely because his claim to power rested on it rather than on dynastic succession.
Nero's suicide in June 68 left the succession violently open. Galba entered Rome in October but was dead by January 15, 69 — murdered in the Forum.