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Sestertius - Galba and Livia AVGVSTA S C
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 68-69 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed and oak-wreathed bust of Emperor Galba facing left, portrayed with characteristically aged and strongly modeled features — prominent brow, sunken cheeks, and pronounced jowls — consistent with official imperial portraiture of his reign. The effigy is draped and presents a realistic, unidealized likeness typical of Julio-Claudian and early Flavian transitional numismatic art. The encircling legend runs along the outer rim of the obverse field in incuse Latin capitals. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Galba's brief reign — roughly seven months between June 68 and January 69 AD — produced a politically calculated coinage that invoked Livia's memory with deliberate intent. By associating himself with the deified wife of Augustus, Galba was reaching backward across nearly five decades to claim Julio-Claudian legitimacy he had no blood right to. It was a thin argument, and the Praetorian Guard settled the matter on the Palatine Hill before it could be tested further.
RIC I 334 is among the scarcer sestertius types of this reign, a consequence of its extreme brevity rather than any minting interruption.