Obverse: Portrait of the Emperor Crowned in a
Laurel Wreath
Reverse: Mourning Jewess Seated Beside a Roman
Victory Trophy
Vespasian was one of the most human of all the
Roman emperors. He appreciated a good joke,
even when he was the butt of it. Legend states
that he never had an innocent man punished, and
even wept for condemned criminals when it was
necessary that they be executed. He was an old
soldier, and would often show kindness to other
old soldiers. He was well aware of the labors of
the common man: his father was a tax collector,
and Vespasian himself had to become a mule
driver after he was banished from Nero's court
for falling asleep during one of Nero's
performances. Later, Nero made him a general
and put him in command of an army sent to put
down a revolt in Judea. When Vespasian became
emperor his son Titus replaced him as general in
Judea and finally put down the revolt in A.D. 70.
Vespasian died on June 23, A.D. 79 after a short
illness. As he was at the point of death, he
struggled to stand up, saying that an emperor
should die on his feet. He even made a joke
about his own death. It was the custom to
consecrate popular emperors after their deaths,
declaring them a minor god. Vespasian was
heard to say as he was about to expire, "Oh my, I
fear I am about to become a god!"
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether active currencies in the age we
live or artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This coin commemorates
Rome’s victory against the Jewish rebellion,
depicting a dejected Jewess sitting beside a
Roman victory monument on the Reverse. While
Rome’s occupation of the Holy Land was short-
lived, artifacts like this coin live one: concrete
remnants of ancient empires passed from the
hands of civilization to civilization, from
generation to generation.
- (C.3028)
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