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Sestertius - Vespasian LIBERTAS PVBLICA S C, Libertas
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 71 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Sestertius = 1/4 Denarius |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate bust of Vespasian facing right, depicted with characteristic realistic portraiture of the Flavian dynasty, the laurel wreath rendered with individual leaves clearly articulated in high relief. The bare neck and robust facial features — including a broad forehead and pronounced chin — reflect the veristic tradition of Roman imperial portraiture. A beaded inner border frames the effigy, with the Latin legend encircling the portrait in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Issued in 71 AD, the year following the fall of Jerusalem and Vespasian's consolidation of power after the chaos of 69 AD — the Year of the Four Emperors — this sestertius belongs to a programmatic coinage designed to project stability after a period of civil war that had seen three emperors murdered or forced to suicide in under eighteen months. The LIBERTAS PVBLICA legend was a deliberate rhetorical move: Vespasian framed his accession not as military seizure but as the restoration of public freedom from tyranny.
RIC II.1 137 is among the better-documented sestertii of the early Flavian series.