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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 4846928, member: 82616&quot;]The bronze As was undoubtedly the commonest bronze coin struck at Rome under Vespasian (and the First Century for that matter!). Hoard evidence from a Pompeiian bar bares this out.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1170181[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>My latest coin is one of the most common Asses struck under Vespasian.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1170182[/ATTACH]</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Vespasian</b></p><p>Æ As, 9.63g</p><p>Rome mint, 76 AD</p><p>Obv: IMP CAESAR VESP AVG COS VII; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.</p><p>Rev: AEQVITAS AVGVST; S C in field; Aequitas stg. l., with scales and rod</p><p>RIC 890 (C). BMC -. BNC 755.</p><p>Acquired from CGB.fr, August 2020.</p><p><br /></p><p>Vespasian inherited a financial mess upon his accession in 69. His top priority was putting the state on a sound financial footing. Symbolic of that righting of the empire was the common reverse type of Aequitas. Aequitas holding her scales and measuring rod was probably based on a cult image of the deity. She first shows up as an imperial virtue on the coinage under Galba - a virtue that Vespasian was eager to emulate. This particular COS VII example struck in 76 at Rome is considered by RIC (p. 51) to be one of the most common bronze coins struck for Vespasian. Oddly enough, no examples are in the BM&#039;s extensive collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>A common coin such as this As saw heavy urban plebeian circulation, not just in Rome but all over the Western empire. Just think of how many cups of wine or loaves of bread it paid for!</p><p><br /></p><p>Show off the commonest of your common coins![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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