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Sestertius - Vespasian LIBERTAS PVBLICA S C, Libertas

Issuer Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD)
Year 71
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Currency Denarius, Reform of Augustus (27 BC – AD 215)
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Obverse description Laureate bust of Vespasian facing right, portrayed with the characteristic broad, fleshy features of the Flavian imperial portrait style. The emperor is depicted with a short neck and slightly draped shoulder, rendered in high relief consistent with early Flavian sestertii. The encircling Latin legend reads IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG P M T P P P COS III, arranged around the full periphery of the flan. The portrait conveys the realistic, unidealized aesthetic favored by Vespasian, emphasizing his mature and resolute character. The fields show the broad, flat treatment typical of hammered bronze coinage struck at the Rome Mint.
Obverse script Latin
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Reverse description The personification of Libertas stands facing left in the center of the field, rendered as a draped female figure in long robes. She holds a pileus (freedom cap) in her raised right hand and a long scepter or hasta in her left hand, both attributes emblematic of the concept of public liberty. The senatorial authorization mark S C (Senatus Consulto) is inscribed in the field, divided to either side of the figure. The encircling legend LIBERTAS PVBLICA proclaims the theme of restored public freedom, a key propagandistic message of Vespasian's early reign following the civil wars of 69 AD. The reverse type draws on a well-established Republican iconographic tradition, here revived to legitimize Flavian rule.
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