Sear, D.R., Roman Coins and their Values 5 vols (London, Spink, 2000-2014) 1763; Mattingly, H., E.A. Sydenham, C.H. Sutherland, R.A. Carson, The Roman Imperial Coinage 13 vols (London,  Spink, 1923-1994) Tiberius 26; Mattingly, H.,Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, 6 vols (London, 1965) 34; Giard, J.-P., Catalogue des Monnaies de l’Empire Romain 3 vols (Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, 1988-1998) 16; Seaby, H.A., Roman Silver Coins (London, B.A. Seaby, 1967) 16.

1968.14

Denarius of Tiberius

3.774 g. AD 15-37

Obv.: Head of Tiberius r., laureate. [TI(berius) CAESAR] DIVI AVG(usti) F(ilius) AVGVS[TVS].

Rev.: Female figure seated r., draped, with staff in right hand and palm-branch in left. PONTIF(ex) M[AXIM(us)].

Issued from the imperial mint at Lugdunum (Lyons).

Tiberius used a very limited number of types on his gold and silver coinage, and their uniformity over most of his reign makes dating difficult (unless the numbered tribunician power is stated). He became pontifex maximus (high priest) in March, AD 15, so this coin cannot be earlier than that.

This reverse type had already been used by Augustus (c. AD 13), and it became one of the most common of Tiberius’ reign. The female figure is often said to represent Livia, but both Augustus and Tiberius resisted giving special honours to women of the imperial family. (See, however, coin 72.03 with Livia’s head, issued by Tiberius in special circumstances.) It was probably intended to be a more generalised personification (perhaps Pax, ‘Peace’, because of the palm-branch), although this need not have prevented some of the population from identifying the figure as that of Livia.

In Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum vol. 1 London 1965, p. cxxx, (and further reported in  RIC I  2984 (CHV Sutherland)) Harold Mattingly attempted to distinguish between different periods of this reverse type, on stylistic grounds. If those criteria are correct, this coin belongs to the latest period of Tiberius’ reign, c. AD 26-37. If so, the portrait of Tiberius is somewhat idealised, as his age in this period was 68-79 years.

Sear, D.R., Roman Coins and their Values 5 vols (London, Spink, 2000-2014) 1763; Mattingly, H., E.A. Sydenham, C.H. Sutherland, R.A. Carson, The Roman Imperial Coinage 13 vols (London,  Spink, 1923-1994) Tiberius 26; Mattingly, H.,Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, 6 vols (London, 1965) 34; Giard, J.-P., Catalogue des Monnaies de l’Empire Romain 3 vols (Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, 1988-1998) 16; Seaby, H.A., Roman Silver Coins (London, B.A. Seaby, 1967) 16.