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Dupondius - Galba S P Q R O B CIV SER
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 68-69 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 29 mm |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse features the honorific legend S P Q R / OB / CIV SER inscribed in three lines within a prominent civic oak wreath (corona civica), composed of large, naturalistic oak leaves with acorns, tied at the base. The wreath symbolizes the corona civica, awarded for saving the lives of Roman citizens, here attributed to the emperor by the Senate and People of Rome. A beaded border encircles the entire design. The bold, well-spaced lettering fills the wreath interior in a dignified monumental style. |
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| Additional information |
Galba's reign lasted just seven months, but his brief tenure produced a distinctive output of rhetoric-heavy coinage minted in Spain and later Rome. The legend S P Q R OB C S — "the Senate and People of Rome, on account of the citizenship preserved" — references Galba's self-presentation as a liberator from Neronian tyranny rather than a usurper. It was a calculated message. He needed legitimacy fast, and bronze coinage circulating in everyday hands was the quickest vehicle for it.
He was murdered by the Praetorian Guard on January 15, 69 AD, the opening act of the Year of the Four Emperors.