Galba tetradrachm from Antioch- beautiful portrait of a not-so-beautiful emperor

I recently added this nice tetradrachm of Galba from Antioch, which is my first coin of Galba, and my first from the "Year of the 4 Emperors."

After the death of Nero in 68 A.D., Galba was the first of 4 men to take over as emperor over the next year, and his reign lasted just 7 months. At the time, Galba was 69 years old, well past his prime, and in failing health. I love the portrait on this coin, and I think it's a great depiction of Galba as a grumpy, tired old man. Though there is some circulation wear, I like that this coin saw a lot of action in one of the craziest years in the history of the Empire. I also like that despite the wear, the obverse legend still clearly shows ΓΑΛΒΑC ΚΑΙCΑΡ ("Galba Caesar" in Greek). Not the easiest coin to photograph, but here is the seller's photo and then my photo:




Galba, Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch., AR Tetradrachm (27 mm, 14.30 g), ΑΥΤΟ]ΚΡΑΤⲰΡ ΓΑΛΒΑC ΚΑΙCΑΡ CЄΒ[ΑCΤΟC] Bare head of Galba to right./ Rev. [ΕΤΟΥC Β] Eagle with spread wings standing left on wreath, holding wreath in beak; palm frond to left. McAlee 308. RPC I 4198.

There is a great description of the physical appearance of Old Man Galba from Suetonius, which I think is in line with this portrait style:

"He was of average height, very bald, with blue eyes and a hooked nose. His hands and feet were so distorted by gout that he could not endure a shoe for long, unroll a book, or even hold one. The flesh on his right side too had grown out and hung down to such an extent, that it could with difficulty be held in place by a bandage. It is said that he was a heavy eater and in winter time was in the habit of taking food even before daylight, while at dinner he helped himself so lavishly that he would have the leavings which remained in a heap before him passed along and distributed among the attendants who waited on him." (Suetonius, "Life of Galba", Chapter 21-22).

Sounds like a lovely man to be around. I think that the portrait on my coin is in line with that description, and it also has a nice resemblance to this bust of Galba:


As emperor, Galba was as effective as he was handsome. Though he had served in several high-ranking government positions over his career, he evidently didn't seem to be up for the job when his time came as emperor. After 7 ineffectual months as emperor, he was assassinated in a plot led by Otho, who then lasted just 3 months as emperor himself. Vitellius then ruled for 8 months, before Vespasian took over and emerged as the last man standing from the "Year of the 4 Emperors," with his Flavian Dynasty ruling the Empire for the next 27 years.

Please share your coins of Galba, any of your favorites from the Year of the 4 Emperors, or anything else relevant.

 

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Great coin, congrats.


Galba (68 - 69 A.D.)
AR Tetradrachm
SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch
O: AYTOKPATWP GALBA C KAICAP CEBACTOC, bare head right.
R: Eagle standing left, wreath in beak, on two laurel branches; palm to left, ETOYC B (date) below.
Antioch Mint
14.4g
26mm
RPC I 4198; Prieur 100; SNG Copenhagen 163


Galba (68 - 69 A.D.)
Egypt, Alexandria
Billon Tetradrachm
O: ΛOYK ΛIB ΣOYΛΠ ΓAΛBA KAIΣ ΣEB AV, laureate head right, LA (date) before, LA = 68 A.D.
R: ΡΩ-MH, helmeted, draped bust of Roma right, holding spear and shield.
23mm
13.6g
Milne 317, RPC 5330; Köln 223; Dattari (Savio) 314; K&G 17.6.

 

Galba, A.D. 68-69

Grade: VF+ light grey toning

Catalog: Köln 233-4; Dattari (Savio) 310; K&G 17.14;

Material: Billon

Weight: 7.18 g

Diameter: 24.00 mm


Obverse: ΣEΡOΥI ΓAΛBA AΥTOK KAIΣ ΣEBA, Laureate head right; L B (date) before

Reverse: EΛEΥ-ϑEΡI, Eleutheria standing left, resting elbow on column, holding wreath and scepter; to left, simpulum

 

My one Galba:

Galba AR Denarius, Aug-Oct 68 AD Rome Mint. Obv. Bare head right, IMP SER GALBA AVG / Rev. S P Q R/ O • B/ C S [OB CS = OB CIVES SERVATOS (For Saving the Citizens)] in three lines within oak wreath. RIC I 167, RSC II 287, Sear RCV I 2109 (ill.). 18.33 mm., 3.29 g.

 

Galba failed to gain popularity, mainly because of his ruthlessness in implementing reforms and his notorious avarice. The most damning description of him was given by Tacitus: “omnium consemsus capax imperii nisi imperasset” -> everyone thought him able to rule the empire until he did.

Have also one Antioch tetradrachm. Both in Antioch and Alexandria, coins of Galba have been minted for the regnal years 1 and 2.

Seleucis and Pieria, Antiochia ad Orontem, dated B in reverse legend = New Royal Year 2 = 68/69 AD
29 mm, 14.879 g, 12h
RPC 4197; McAlee 310-3; Prieur 99; Wruk 58; GIC pp 65, 68

Ob.: AYTOKPATωP CEPOVIOC ΓAΛBAC ϹƐΒΑϹΤΟϹ, Bare head of Galba to right
Rev.: ƐΤΟΥϹ Β Eagle standing left on two opposing laurel branches, wings spread, holding wreath in beak; palm branch to left, ЄTOYC B (date RY 2) in exergue.

​

 

Great coin, Galba's Antioch portraits were a lot better than the Alexandrian like mine.

 

Your Alexandrian portrait seems to be more realistic - he definitely looks like the Bust of Galba in the OP by @Shea19

 

I suspect most portraits of Galba give him too much hair


Galba Æ As of Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria. AD 68-69. IM SER SVL GAL [CA]E, laureate head right / Large S•C, • below; all within circular linear border within laurel wreath. McAlee 312d (same dies); RPC I 4314

 

Great coin with a lovely, and perhaps even realistic portrait!

Here are my two Galba denarii. The portraits on these two make him look like a tough, stern, yet admirable general/emperor. I'd like to add a denarius of Galba from the Tarraco mint one day. I really enjoy the style of these, with the portrait resembling the giant statues on Easter island...

 

Nice tetradrachm, Shea19!

I only have on coin of Galba. I used to own a rather corroded sestertius, but it was sold many years ago.

This is an AE Dupondius, Rome, 68 AD.

IMP SER SVLPIC GALBA CAESAR AVG TRP, laureate head right.
FELICITAS PVBLICA S-C, Felicitas standing left, holding a pileus and staff.

This coin seems to be a variety, with the final "A" in "GALBA" offset to accommodate the top of his laurel wreath.


In addition to his very brief stent as Emperor, Galba served as an important general during Claudius' campaign in Brittan, according to Graves.

 

A familiar bust -- I used the same one a few hears ago when I illustrated my "mint set of Galba:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/12-caesars-galba.302769/

 

Beautiful coins everyone!

@Mat and @cmezner , I love those Antioch tets. Before the coin arrived in the mail, I initially thought that the right wing on the eagle might be slightly double-struck...it's much easier to see on your examples that it's actually a palm branch next to the wing.

@Limes , I really like your denarius....at first glance, I actually thought that the portrait looked more like Nerva, very cool portrait style.

@DonnaML What a beautiful denarius, great coin.

 

Beautiful coins!

I guess it's not -so- surprising that the best early imperial portraiture comes from a former center of Hellenistic culture - These Antioch tets are IMHO the best portraits of at least Augustus and Vespasian - although Nero and Galba certainly employed some fine engravers at Rome.

My one Galba I have imaged for now; bought for the "grouchy old man" bust


And not a Galba from Antioch but his successor Otho - doesn't look a whole lot like Otho, but still a lovely bust

 

I was out of town for the weekend and didn't get to respond to these...great coins everyone, thanks for sharing!

@IdesOfMarch01 , I didn't see that thread the first time around. Your Galba sestertius is spectacular! (And I suppose your aureus is nice enough too )

@robinjojo - That's a beautiful dupondius...interesting to see a dupondius without a radiate crown, but I know that it took a while for that to fully catch on.

@Finn235 , I really like your Otho...my guess is that they may not have known what the new guy looked like yet.

@Ancient Aussie and @ancient coin hunter - Those are some very nice Alexandrians...nice to see the different portrait styles.

@eparch, I agree, most of his coins definitely show Galba with too much hair. And that is a great Antioch bronze, love that portrait!

 

A Galba Tet a little down the way from Antioch...

EGYPT, Alexandria. Galba. AD 68-69. BI Tetradrachm Dated RY 1 (AD 68).
O: Laureate head of Galba right
R: Veiled and draped bust of Eirene right, caduceus over shoulder.
RPC I 5328

 

Love your coin, very realistic portrait of Galba. Great style too. Here’s my denarius.

 

I wonder if that is really Galba. It is the "bust of a bald man with an aquiline nose." Very few ancient busts have their original noses--they break off easily and are usually restored in order to look the way the restorer wants them to look. If that's the case with this bust, it could easily have been some Republican bald man with the nose restored to make it look like Galba's nose (which it doesn't, anyway--it is too pointed). Also, that bust is of a lean man, like Republican busts, and Galba was not lean.

It would be nice if ancient busts were found with names engraved on the back or in situ with the name on the pedestal--but they are not. Take a look at all those coins of Galba above (those do have the name on them) and ask yourself if that statue is the same man. I vote no.