I finally added this coin, something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. There are plenty available, so I held out for the right example at the right price. Recently, I’ve been reading upon the Roman-Jewish wars and wanted a coin from that era. So far, I only have a prutah of Nero from that region. While I could get a bronze prutah minted during the wars, they don’t excite me as much, and the silver issues that were overstruck on Roman denarii and the shekels that I find interesting tend to be really pricey. Since the Judaea Capta is an iconic Flavian coin, I felt it would be a perfect fit to my collection. While these coins are relatively common, they often carry a premium due to their historical significance, which remains highly relevant today. I really like the young bust of Vespasian and the strong lettering on the reverse. It looks like this type is where Judaea's legs are extended rather than drawn up. Vespasian AR Denarius. 18mm, 3,02g Rome Mint, 69-70 AD RIC II.1 2; BMCRE 35; RSC 226. Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head to right. Rev: Judaea seated to right against trophy; IVDAEA in exergue. Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd E-Sale 112, 7 Sep 2023, lot 911. Ex Biga Numismatics Online Auction 12, Nov 2022, lot 274. Interestingly I discovered I've been unintentionally assembling a Captive collection. Please share your coins from the Roman-Jewish Wars!
A very nice coin. I've been keeping an eye on them at auction recently but, as you say, the prices tend to be surprisingly high given how common they are. I guess that's what happens given the history and overlapping areas of interest. I'd be delighted to have won that particular coin! All the key elements are there.
Same story as the Tribute Penny, extremely common yet in high demand. In fact there is no proof that the coin mentioned in Bible was that particular one or even a denarius, Jesus only mentioned Caesar's coin which should be understood as the coin of the Roman government, so any Roman coin up to that point fit the description. As for the coin above, I actually bought it from someone who won it from Roma, although after some significant discounts, I paid around the same as what it hammered including the premiums.
Several threads on CoinTalk have addressed the matter of the so-called Tribute Penny. I'll only assert here that in Matthew 22:19, and in Mark 12:15, and in Luke 20:24 the Greek word denoting denarius was indeed used. But as for the subject of your post: I have several Judaea Capta issues. I will post immediately below a photo of the first one I purchased 20 years ago from Ralph DeMarco. It happens to be the same type you posted!
Thank you for the clarification. Regarding your coin, I really like the details on Judaea as well as the expression of Vespasian.
Thanks! And in the process I couldn't help but notice that prices have risen over the past 20 years. :-o
Jewish prutah. Obv. : שנת שתים, "year two" (= 67/8 CE), amphora Rev.: חרות ציון, "the freedom of Zion", vine leaf Titus, Caesarea, AE coin Obv.: worn-out legend, laureate head of Titus right Rev.: IOYΔAIAΣ [EAΛΟKΥIAΣ], "Judaea capta" in Greek , trophy, bound captive seated to left, shield to right
