Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;AncientJoe, post: 2269791, member: 44357&quot;]I&#039;ve recently acquired both of these coins, crossing one more off of my Twelve Caesars list and adding the Vindex denarius as a &quot;bonus&quot; which I&#039;ve sought after for quite some time.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Vindex denarius comes from the Gasvoda collection and was a pleasant surprise when I received it in hand, with the toning being much more beautiful in person than the still-attractive auction photos led me to believe. More importantly, this coin has solid metal, unlike most other Vindex denarii.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y342/AncientJoe/Vindex_zpsypmzujkd.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Vindex Denarius, Gaul, March-May 68 AD, AR 3.61 g. MARS – VLTOR Helmeted and draped bust of Mars r. Rev. Aquila between two standards, altar to r.; in field, P – R and in exergue, [SI]GNA. C Galba 406. BMC Galba 39. Martin 60. RIC 51. CBN 18. Very rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. Struck on unusually fine metal and with a wonderful iridescent tone. Extremely fine Ex Antiqua sale XII, 2003, 134. This issue is related to the effort of Vindex to displace Nero in 68. Vindex is said to have amassed a following of 100,000 soldiers. The type here, as is common during the civil war, is a recreation of an earlier denarius of Augustus using the Mars Ultor motif</i></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y342/AncientJoe/Galba_zpsc8zdlha9.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Galba; 68-69 AD, Rome, Denarius, 3.30g. BM-34 corr, C-287, Paris-76, RIC-167. Obv: IMP SER - GALBA AVG Head bare r. Rx: S P Q R / OB / C S in three lines within oak wreath. Bare-headed portrait. Ex Auction F. Sternberg, Zürich 15./16. November 1979, lot 74. Beautifully toned with a striking portrait. Choice EF</i></p><p><br /></p><p>(I haven&#039;t had a chance to complete a full writeup so the description below comes from a CNG auction)</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;The civil wars at the end of Nero’s reign began with the revolt of the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis, Gaius Julius Vindex, probably around the beginning of March of AD 68. Vindex offered the leadership of the revolt to Servius Sulpicius Galba, then governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, who was hailed imperator by the Spanish legions at Carthago Nova in April of the same year. The title was cautiously refused, but Galba did declare himself the legatus of the senate and people of Rome. Just a month later, Galba’s confidence would be shaken by the crushing defeat of Vindex near Besançon by the general Lucius Verginius Rufus, governor of Germania Superior. By 9 June Nero was dead, having taken his own life. Galba began his march to Rome, and his brief reign was underway.</p><p><br /></p><p>Coinage, of course, was needed during these precarious months of revolt and without an emperor to strike in the name of (save for that in honor of the “model emperor” of Roman history, Augustus) the coinage was struck with messages suiting the political climate. The coinage under Vindex possesses a more aggressive air that underscores the militant nature of his revolt, while Galba’s tends to be more constitutional and optimistic in tone.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Post your coins of Galba or Vindex!</b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in