Obverse: TI CAESAR DIVS AVG F AVGVSTVS;
Portrait of the Emperor Crowned with a
Laurel Wreath.
Reverse: PONTIF MAXIM; Livia Enthroned as
Pax Seated Facing Right.
Tiberius was a tragic figure. He was an
outstanding military commander - the best
of his age - but he was neither interested in
nor fitted for politics. Yet, as the son of
Emperor Augustus, he was doomed to be
emperor. He knew Augustus favored others
over him and that he was about the eighth
choice. It was his mother, Livia, who was
determined that Tiberius should succeed. He
was unenthusiastic about becoming emperor
and ended by loathing his position.
Historically, he has a reputation for being
over suspicious to the point of paranoia,
constantly fearing plots against his life by
senators or popular rivals. In the latter part
of his reign, Tiberius moved to the island of
Capri, out of touch with Rome but still
emperor.
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 contemporary currencies
or artifacts of a long forgotten empires. 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 is more than a commemoration to
an individual leader, it is also a glorious
memorial to an entire ancient empire passed
from the hands of civilization to civilization,
from generation to generation. - (C.3093)
