Sestertius - Vespasian S C, Jupiter

Vespasian's later sestertii, struck in the final years before his death in 79 AD, belong to a reign defined by fiscal reconstruction after the chaos of 69 AD's four emperors. The aerarium was effectively bankrupt when Vespasian took power; his aggressive tax reforms — including the notorious urine tax on public latrines — funded both the rebuilding of Rome and a sustained recommencement of large bronze coinage that had faltered under Nero's debasements.

RIC II.1 996 is a product of the Rome mint operating under restored administrative discipline. The SC notation reflects senatorial authorization, a convention Vespasian maintained scrupulously as part of his broader effort to project constitutional normalcy.