Sestertius - Galba S C, Asclepius

Galba's reign lasted just seven months, from June 68 to January 69 AD, ending when the Praetorian Guard murdered him in the Roman Forum after he named Piso Licinianus his heir instead of the populist favorite Otho. The inclusion of Asclepius on this issue likely reflects Galba's well-documented physical ailments in his final years — ancient sources describe him as severely arthritic, barely able to hold a sword or manage a scroll. Whether the type was a genuine appeal to divine healing or a calculated piece of dynastic messaging is debated.

RIC I 487 is among the scarcer of his sestertius types, a function of the reign's brevity rather than any single production anomaly.