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Sestertius - Galba LIBERTAS PVBLICA S C, Libertas
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 68-69 |
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| Value | 1 Sestertius = 1/4 Denarii |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Libertas, the personification of public freedom, depicted standing left, draped in flowing robes. She holds a pileus (the freedman's cap, symbolizing liberty) in her extended right hand and a vindicta (rod or scepter) in her left hand. The senatorial authorization mark S C (Senatus Consultum) appears in the field on either side of the figure, affirming the senate's authority over bronze coinage. The reverse legend LIBERTAS PVBLICA frames the scene, emphasizing the political messaging of Galba's short reign as a restoration of senatorial liberties following the Neronian period. |
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| Additional information |
Galba's reign lasted seven months. The LIBERTAS PVBLICA types were struck almost immediately after Nero's suicide in June 68 AD, when the Senate declared Galba emperor and the propaganda machinery pivoted hard toward the rhetoric of restored freedom — a direct rebuke of Nero's final years. The claim rang hollow quickly. Galba's refusal to pay the donative promised to the Rhine legions by his agents sealed his fate, and he was murdered in the Roman Forum in January 69 AD.
RIC I 309 is a Rome mint issue, struck during a politically volatile transitional window before the Year of the Four Emperors fully unraveled.