I just received my wins from Frank Robinson's latest auction, and this is probably the star: Roman Empire, Egypt, Alexandria. Billon tetradrachm. Galba (68-69 AD), regnal year 2. Obverse: Laureate bust of Galba right. Reverse: Helmeted, draped, and cuirassed bust of Roma right, holding spear and shield, star before. Galba was born in 3 BC and had a distinguished career in the Roman bureaucracy of the early empire. At the time of his accession he was governor of Hispania Tarraconensis. After the failed uprising of Vindex and suicide of Nero in early 68, Galba assumed the title of Caesar in June and marched to Rome. His reign, however, would last only seven months. While he had a reputation for fairness in his early career, as emperor Galba proved to be both greedy and cruel, and he refused to pay a bonus to the Praetorian Guard, stating "It is my custom to levy troops, not to buy them." While this refusal to bribe the Praetorians could be considered a rare flash of good character, it was also very unwise. On January 1, 69, troops in Germany refused to hail Galba, and the next day proclaimed Vitellius emperor. On January 15, the Praetorians in Rome proclaimed their allegiance to Otho. Galba went out to meet the rebellious troops, and was immediately murdered. At the time of his death, Galba was a widower, and his two adult sons both appear to have died prior to 60 AD. Galba's sexual preference was definitely directed towards men, and Suetonius notes "he showed a preference for mature and very sturdy men" rather than for youths as would be more conventional at the time. By the time he became emperor, Galba was showing the signs of age; he was reportedly bald and had arthritis in his hands and feet so severe that he could not wear shoes or hold a parchment scroll. (The lush head of hair on this coin is either a wig or a blatant lie.) This coin was won in Frank Robinson's latest auction; it is a pleasant coin with good portrait detail. At first, I was confused how the coin could be dated to regnal year 2 when Galba only reigned for seven months. However, I learned that Alexandrian coins always base the regnal year on the Egyptian calendar, which had a New Year on August 29, so Galba's first regnal year lasted only three months.
Outstanding coin! I did not know Alexandrian coins based the regnal year on the Egyptian calendar. I would have been just as confused about that LB as you were. The portrait even looks a bit like him, which is not always the case for provincial coins. Great pickup.
Awesome tet! Interesting that Roma is presented here as a bust and later under Vespasian as a standing figure.
Well centred, good metal with no obvious surface problems, rare to see them that good. Great buy Parthicus.
Congrats on the cool Bil Tet!!! It seems I have fallen into another 'mini-niche' and keep bidding on various Alexandrian types....two still active and one lost to a bidder who wanted it much more than I did----a nice Tet of Claudius and Antonia
