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Sestertius - Galba LIBERT AVG S C R XL, Libertas
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 68-69 |
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| Composition | Orichalcum (brass) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Standing draped female figure personifying Libertas, facing left, extending her right hand to present a pileus (the freedman's cap symbolic of emancipation), while her left hand holds a vindicta (the rod employed in Roman manumission ritual). The figure is placed on a ground line within an open field, with the large senatorial authorization mark S C flanking the figure to left and right. The additional legend elements R and XL are distributed in the lower field, and a beaded border encloses the entire composition. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Galba's reign lasted just seven months, from June 68 to January 69 AD, and his coinage was produced under extraordinary pressure — he had seized power following Nero's suicide and immediately faced the problem of legitimizing a regime built entirely on military force. The LIBERT AVG legend was deliberate propaganda, positioning his rule as a restoration of freedom after Neronian tyranny, a claim his own troops found increasingly unconvincing.
He was murdered by the Praetorian Guard on January 15, 69 AD, the opening act of the Year of the Four Emperors. RIC I 438 is among the commoner of his sestertius types, struck at Rome in the brief window before the mint changed allegiance to Otho.