Tiberius Tiberius Claudius Nero was Livia’s son and Augustus’ stepson. There is little recorded of Tiberius early life, although it’s known that he gave the eulogy of his natural father in 32 BC, at the age of nine. Suetonius writes that “He passed his infancy and his youth amid hardship and tribulation, since he was everywhere the companion of his parents in their flight; at Naples indeed he all but betrayed them twice by his crying…” Tiberius went into the military and served under Agrippa in the East. In 19 BC, Tiberius returned to Rome and married Agrippa’s daughter, Vipsania Agrippina. He then was made praetor and took his legions to the West to join Drusus. In 13 BC, Tiberius again returned to Rome and was appointed consul. His son, Drusus Julius Caesar, was born soon afterward. The following year brought the death of Agrippa, moving Tiberius and Drusus up the chain of succession. In 11 BC, Augustus requested that Tiberius divorce Vipsania and marry Augustus’ daughter (and Agrippa’s widow), Julia the Elder. This purely political arrangement devastated Tiberius as he truly loved Vipsania. Suetonius again notes: “…he was forced to divorce her and to contract a hurried marriage with Julia,daughter of Augustus. This caused him no little distress of mind, for he was living happily with Agrippina, and disapproved of Julia's character, having perceived that she had a passion for him even during the lifetime of her former husband, as was in fact the general opinion.But even after the divorce he regretted his separation from Agrippina, and the only time that he chanced to see her, he followed her with such an intent and tearful gaze that care was taken that she should never again come before his eyes. With Julia he lived in harmony at first, and returned her love; but he soon grew cold, and went so far as to cease to live with her at all, after the severing of the tie formed by a child which was born to them, but died at Aquileia in infancy.” The armchair psychologist in me believes that this event may be the genesis of his unhappiness during the rest of his life. Drusus died in 9 BC and Augustus continued to elevate Tiberius as the clear successor to the throne. Tiberius continued on military campaigns with great success and once again returned to Rome in 7 BC, being named consul again and in 6 BC acquiring tribunician power and control over the East, as Agrippa had before him. Outwardly, everything seemed to be going very well for Tiberius, but he was unhappy and suddenly withdrew from politics altogether and retired in 6 BC to Rhodes. Augustus had in the meantime adopted Julia’s sons, Gaius and Lucius, and had placed them along the same path of succession as he had done for Tiberius and Drusus. But Lucius died in 2 AD and Gaius in battle in 4 AD. With the death of the last bloodline heir of Augustus (with the exception of Agrippa Postumus, who was disowned in 7 AD) Augustus had no choice but to fully adopt Tiberius in order to ensure a smooth transition of power. Tiberius was given the equivalent powers of co-princeps with Augustus in 12 AD, two years before Augustus died at the age of 75. The Senate validated the will of Augustus, had him deified, and Tiberius became the second Roman emperor until his death on March 16, 37 AD. Tiberius was emperor during the time of the Biblical Christ, and it was during his reign that Jesus is quoted in Matthew 22:19 "'Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax.' And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, 'Whose likeness and inscription is this?' They said to Him, 'Caesar’s.' Then He said to them, 'Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.' And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away." It is this coin referred to today as the “Tribute Penny”. In I, Claudius, Tiberius is portrayed as a reluctant emperor, very much missing the military life and having little interest nor inclination for ruling. After his son Drusus mysteriously died in 23 AD, Tiberius made no effort to designate a successor to replace Drusus, and in 26 AD left Rome altogether for the island of Capri. The Praetorian Prefect Sejanus, who for 20 years had served the imperial family, was elevated following Drusus’ death and referred to as “Socius Laborum” (Partner of My Labors) and left in charge of Rome. But Sejanus proceeded to overstep his authority, initially by requesting marriage to Tiberius’ niece Livilla (which request was shortly withdrawn under pressure). While Tiberius was in Capri, Sejanus was somewhat held in check by Tiberius’ notorious mother Livia, but when Livia died in 29 AD, all that changed. Sejanus started to expunge those in Rome capable of opposing his power: Germanicus’ widow Agrippina the Elder and two of her sons Nero Caesar and Drusus Caesar were arrested, exiled and later died in suspicious circumstances. Finally, Sejanus plotted to overthrow Tiberius, and when this plot was discovered, Sejanus was condemned, tried by the Senate, and executed. Sejanus’ plot and its fallout permanently damaged Tiberius, and subsequently he completely withdrew from the running of the empire. The bureaucracy established by Augustus continued to grind on, however, and the empire survived on its own inertia. Tiberius died in 37 AD at the age of 77, leaving Caligula as his successor. There are many rumors surrounding his death: (1) that when Caligula was being congratulated as the new emperor, Tiberius suddenly revived, only to be smothered by the head of the Praetorian Guard (Macro); (2) Tiberius had been poisoned and smothered by Caligula; (3) that Macro and Caligula plotted to starve and smother Tiberius in his bedclothes. Curiously, there is a modern connection between Tiberius and Sejanus: Tiberius was the middle name of Captain James T. (for Tiberius) Kirk in the original Star Trek series, and Sejanus was played by Patrick Stewart in I, Claudius, who also played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek movies. About the Coins Let’s be candid: Tiberius’ coins are mostly boring. RIC writes “There was not a single administrative innovation in the imperial coinage under Tiberius; indeed, so far from making innovations, he contracted the Augustan scheme in some important respects, and his distribution of mints was very sparing indeed. The only new feature in the coinage of Tiberius was the sharp diminution, amounting to virtual extinction, of information-content in the precious-metal coinage, accompanied by a very remarkable increase in the information-content of the AES.” My mint set is not complete, lacking a lifetime portrait sestertius of Tiberius, which will likely be similar to the Augustus Altar at Lugdunum coin. Let’s see some more interesting coins of Tiberius! Next: Caligula (Gaius)
I agree, his usual coins are boring. But the provincials are much more interesting. That is why I haven't succumb to the high prices a "Tribute Penny" go for. I like your dupondius best. My two below are some of my favorites. Tiberius (14 - 34 A.D.) AR Tetradrachm EGYPT, Alexandria O: [TI]BERIOS KAISAR SEBASTOS, laureate head of Tiberius right; LID (date) in right field. R: QEOS SEBASTOS, radiate head of Augustus left. EGYPT, Alexandria Mint, year 14=27/28 A.D. 13.43g 23mm RPC I 5090; Milne 54; Emmett 61 Tiberius & Drusus ( 14 - 37 A.D.) AR Drachm CAPPADOCIA, Caesarea-Eusebia O: [TI C]AES AVG PM TRP XXXV, Laureate head of Tiberius right. R: DRVSVS CAES TI] AVG F COS II R P, Head of Drusus left. Caesarea in Cappadocia mint 33- 34 A.D. 3.47g 19mm RIC I 87; RPC I 3622. Syd 46
Beautiful coins @IdesOfMarch01. I really like the dupondius. I only have 1 coin of Tiberius. I do not find it it particularly boring even if the reverse was copied from a denarius of Augustus. I still like it. The portrait is very high relief. Tiberius, 14-37 Denarius Lugdunum circa 15-16, AR (18.55 mm., 3.85 g). Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI - AVG F AVGVSTVS Laureate head r. Rev: TR POT XVII IMP VII Tiberius holding branch and eagle-tipped scepter in triumphal quadriga r. RIC 4. C 48. SRCV I (2000) 1762 Ex: Naville Numismatics Auction #25 Lot #407 September 25, 2016
Amazing posts!!!I LOVE that Dupondius...and really like the Provincials... Here's an AE AS I picked up from Heritage early 2015---naturally, it has since been liberated
TIBERIUS: RI Tiberius AE As 14-37 CE Laureate-Pont Max Globe Rudder sinister left RIC I 58 LIVIA: RI Alexandria Livia, w Augustus Diobol CE 1-2 Æ 23.5mm 7.46g. Rev. Athena holding Nike Sheild ex Dattari-Savio Pl. 3 60-this coin RPC pag. 692-5-this coin RARE AGRIPPA: DRUSUS: RI Drusus Caesar AE As 28mm - Restor Issue under Titus NERO and DRUSUS CAESAR: RI Nero and Drusus Caesar under Tiberius Carthago Nova mint AE As 14-37 CE sinister left AUGUSTUS with GAIUS and LUCIUS: RI Augustus AR Denarius struck 2 BC-14 AD Caius and Lucius Caesars stdg shield spear S 1578 NGC4276216-007
Another great post @IdesOfMarch01 I'll add my voice to the choir of praise for your dupondius, it is a fantastic coin.
That dupondius is so interesting and beautiful! Thanks for another wonderful installment in your Twelve Caesars summary
That dupondius is a stunning eye catcher with that wreath reverse. Since the 12 caesars are a sidelight for me, I have not gone after the bronze, though I can see why some would. However, I do not consider the silver of Tiberius to be boring inasmuch as his has "hidden" varieties embedded in the coin designs. Here is my example with a bit of writeup that goes into it somewhat: Tiberius Caesar (16-21 AD) (BMCRE 36) Minted at Lugdunum Group 1 The so-called "tribute penny" was simply the most common style of denarius to be produced during the reign of Emperor Tiberius. Two other denarii were in production during the first year of his reign, but the seated "Livia as Pax" reverse alone continued in production at Lugdunum (Lyon) throughout his reign. Production at Rome was limited to bronze entirely. Beyond Lugdunum the mint at Caesarea Cappadocia alone also produced in silver, but those coins were drachmae, not denarii. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS Bare laureate portrait bust facing right. Somewhat older aspect. PONTIF MAXIM Seated female figure (representing Livia as Pax) facing right, holding a scepter vertically in her right hand, and an olive branch ahead in her left. Legs of chair plain; double line below. There are three varieties to this reverse in the BMC catalog (CNG partitions 6), based on design details involving: the ornamentation of the chair, the nature of the long object being held, and the number of lines below the chair to depict the flooring. Others add a fourth detail as the appearance or not of a footstool. So the coins have been divided into four to six groups based on their common design details (depending upon the catalog system in use). The basic three styles group chronologically as Group 1: 16-21 AD; Group 2: 21-25 AD; Group 3: 26-27 AD. This example features the lady seated in a plain, unadorned chair, holding a branch in her left hand and a vertical staff or scepter in her right. Her feet rest on the floor, and there are two parallel lines marking space below the chair. These are the salient characteristics of Group 1, which is undated on the coins but the earliest issue type. By way of contrast, key points to note about your example, Idesof March, are: plain vertical staff, ornamented chair legs, flat floor, and, I think, a small footstool. It belongs to a different group than mine.
Enjoyed the writeup and really love the dupondius. One of my biggest coin auction laments is losing out on a MODERATIONI dupondius a couple of years ago.
All three of your coins are great IdesOfMarch01 but really like that Dupondius, hardly ever see that type. I have a few, start with an early Altar of Lugdunum as Caesar under Augustus to a Postumus issued by Titus. AE As, Minted 12-14 AD, 28mm, 12gm. Tribute Penny, AR Denarius, 3.54gm. Tiberius, struck at Emerita, 25mm, 13.1g AE As, Tiberius Rome 15-16 AD. Livia Tiberius Ae As, Rome Globe and Rudder, Rc 64, 28mm, 10.7gm. Tiberius, Restitution issue under Titus, Rome 80-81, 27mm, 11.1gm, RIC 432.
The dupondius is amazing The others are .....excellent examples of a boring coinage My only Tiberius if of the boring type too Tiberius, Denarius minted in Lyon after 15-16 AD TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGUSTUS, Laureate head of Tiberius right PONTIF MAXIM, Woman seated right (Livia ?) 3.71 gr Ref : RCV #1763, Cohen #16 The following have both been minted under the reign of Tiberius Augustus, Posthumous as struck under the reign of Tiberius DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER, Radiate head of Augustus left PROVIDENT, Altar, S C in field 11.02 gr Ref : Cohen #228, RCV #1789, RIC I # 81 Livia (+ AD 29), Dupondius Rome mint, AD 22-23 under the reign of Tiberius SALVS AVGVSTA, draped bust of Salus (Livia) right TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVG P M TR POT XXIIII, around large S C 13.90 g, 27 mm,. Ref : RCV # 1740 (450), Cohen # 5 (6), RIC I, 47. Q
TIBERIUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG AVGVSTVS, laureate head right REVERSE: PONTIF MAXIM, Livia, as Pax, holding long sceptre & olive branch, seated right on throne with ornate legs, single line below Lugdunum 14-37 AD 3.75g, 19mm RIC 30, RSC 16a, BMC 48 TIBERIUS AE 25mm (As) OBVERSE: TI CAESAR AVGVSTVS PON MAX IMP, laureate head left REVERSE: COL AVGVSTA EMERITA, campgate Struck at Emerita, Spain, 14-36 AD 9.27g, 25mm RPC 42
Just caught this before it fell off the front page... glad I did, that dupondius is very cool. The aureus ain't bad either! AE as, 11g, RIC 34:
Very interesting write up on the "Tribute Penny" timeline lrbguy, and agree on most points, but still not sure entirely as I was pretty convinced my one was group one, purely from Tiberius's full more youthful bust. I have the feeling group one holds a lot more varieties that are also present in group two and three, maybe there were so many different dies it is hard to determine dating. Might make for an interesting thread if everybody was to display their "tribute penny's" with the owner's idea of date range and we could compare and chat about it, what do you and everybody else think?
