Tiberius served as a general during several conquests under
Augustus. Although
Augustus was his step-father, the emperor intended for his successor to be his friend
Agrippa. However, because
Agrippa, and later his own adopted sons, died while
Augustus was
still in power he finally (and reluctantly) settled on
Tiberius. Whether he felt like second fiddle or not is left to speculation but what is for certain is that, unlike
Augustus, he retained an uneasy relationship with the Senate and one which would eventually see him "divorcing" himself from its day-to-day business by his self-imposed exile to the island of Capri.
In the beginning
Tiberius ruled wisely and competently. He conferred with the Senate constantly and presented himself as a hardworking advocate of the people. But soon he became cynical after the flattery of Senators and rumors of betrayal. It was at this point that he quickly descended into a bitter and reclusive old man and then retired to Capri for the remainder of his life. While deathly ill and advanced in age,
Caligula had him smothered with his own bed sheets... lest
Tiberius decide to change his mind about naming him his successor.
The coins of
Tiberius are rather boring in their unimaginative use of
just a handful of types for almost two decades straight. The
Denarii have become known worldwide as the "tribute penny" which is mentioned in the Bible. This is somewhat controversial considering the coin had probably not seen wide circulation throughout the middle east until after Jesus 's crucifixion but it is at least plausible that they did to some extent along with the more established
Denarii of
Augustus and other silver coins of the region.
Whether appropriately called or not the
Tribute Penny is easily available today starting at a bit over $100 for a shopworn specimen and climbing up to about $250-$300 for a nice one. The same
type is also available as an
Aureus for beaucoup bucks but, then again, they never were
just a penny either.
Bronzes are much more varied when it
comes to types and are again widely available though unfortunately a majority will not be prime examples. The typical coin will be moderately worn, porous and have only a
part of its legends readable but need not cost more than around $100; of course, as overall coin appeal rises so will the numbers in the
price tag.
Busts:
1)
Bare head left
2)
Bare head right
3) Laureate
head left
4) Laureate
head right
a)
Tiberius seated left, holding
patera and
scepter Obverses:
1) CIVITATIBVS
ASIA RESTITVTIS
2) TI
CAES AVG PM
TR P XXXIV
3) TI
CAES AVG PM
TR P XXXV 4)
TI CAESAR AVGVST F IMPERAT V
5)
TI CAESAR AVGVST F
IMPERATOR V
6)
TI CAESAR AVGVSTVS 7)
TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVG
PONT MAX
8)
TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST IMP VII
9)
TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST IMP
VIII 10)
TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS 11)
TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS 12)
TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS IMP VII
13)
TI CAESAR DIVI
AVGVST F IMPERAT V
14)
TI CAESAR DIVI
AVGVST F IMPERAT VII
15)
TI CAESAR DIVI
AVGVSTI F AVGVSTVS 16)
TI CAESAR DIVI
AVGVSTI F IMPERATOR V
17) TI
DIVI F AVGVSTVS 18) No
legend Reverses:
1)
CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST PM TR POT XXIIII
2)
CLEMENTIAE 3)
DIVOS AVGVST DIVI F 4)
DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER 5)
DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER PATRIAE 6)
DRVSVS CAES TI
AVG F COS II P IT
7)
DRVSVS CAES TI
AVG F COS II TR P 8)
DRVSVS CAES TI
AVG F COS
TR P IT
9) IMP D
CAES DIVI
VESP AVG REST
10) IMP T
CAES DIVI
VESP AVG REST
11) IMP T
CAES DIVI
VESP F AVG PM
12) IMP T
CAES DIVI
VESP F AVG REST
13) IMP T
CAES DIVI
VESP F AVG RESTITVTIT
14) IMP T
CAES DIVI
VESP F
AVGVST 15)
MODERATIONI 16) MODERATIONIS
17)
PONT MAXIM
COS III IMP VII TR POT XXI
18)
PONT MAXIM
COS III IMP VII TR POT XXII
19) PONTIF
AVGVST 20) PONTIF MAX TR POT XXXIIX
21) PONTIF MAX TR POT XXXVI
22) PONTIF MAX TR POT XXXVII
23) PONTIF MAXIM
24) PONTIF MAXIM TRIBVN POTEST XVII
25) PONTIF MAXIM TRIBVN POTEST XXII
26) PONTIF MAXIM TRIBVN POTEST XXIIII
27) PONTIF MAXIM TRIBVN POTEST XXXVI
28) PONTIF MAXIM TRIBVN POTEST XXXVII
29)
PONTIFEX TRIBVN POTESTATE XII
30)
TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST PM TR POT XXXVI
31)
TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F IMP
VIII 32) TR POT XVI
33) TR POT XX
34) TR POT XXII
35) TR POT XXIIII
36) TR POT XXV
37) TR POT XXVI
38) TR POT XXVII
39) TR POT XXVIII
40) TR POT XXVIIII
41) TR POT XXX
42) TR POT XXXI
43) TR POT XXXII
44) TR POT XXXIII
45) TR POT XXXIIII
46) TR POT
XXXV 47) TR POT XXXVI
48) TR POT XXXVII
49) TR POT XXXVIII
50) No
legend Types:
1)
Altar; two Victories standing on columns on either
side, facing each other.
2)
Augustus bare head right,
star above
3)
Augustus laureate
head right,
star above.
4)
Augustus radiate head left,
star above.
5)
Caduceus, winged
6)
Cornucopiae (2), crossed over winged
caduceus and two branches.
7)
Drusus,
bare head left.
8) Large SC
9)
Legend TR P PP COS
VIII RESTITVIT within outer
legend.
10) Livia seated right, holding
patera and
scepter.
11) Livia seated right, holding
scepter and branch
12) Pax seated right, holding spear and branch
13) Rudder on globe over large globe.
14)
Tiberius bare headed, facing
bust on
shield decorated with doily-like lacework and outer
wreath.
15)
Tiberius laureate, facing
bust within
wreath on
shield rimmed with dots and branches.
16)
Tiberius riding
quadriga right, holding branch and
scepter with
eagle atop.
17)
Victory seated right on globe, holding
wreath with both
hands 18)
Wreath, PONTIF / MAX within
Mints:
1) Caesarea
Cappadociae 2) Commagene
3)
Lugdunum 4)
Roma
AU Aureus Reference(s) 1) B4, O11, R23, T11
RIC I 25, BMC 30, C 15
Tiberius (14-37), Lugdunum, AD 18-19, Quinarius, AV, gr. 3,9, mm 15/16. TI DIVI F - AVGVSTVS, Laureated head r.. Rv. TR POT - XX, Victory seated r. on globe, holding wreath. RIC 6; BMCRE 14; C 50. Joe Geranio- From old cngcoins.com photo.
AR Denarius 2) B4, O11, R03, T03
3) B4, O11, R23, T11
RIC I 28
4) B4, O11, R32, T16 Exe: IMP VII
RIC I 2
5) B4, O11, R33, T16 Exe: IMP VII
RIC I 4
AE Sestertius 6) B1, O15, R16, T01 Exe:
ROM ET AVG RIC 240 (I,
Augustus), C 28
7) B3, O15, R16, T01 Exe:
ROM ET AVG RIC 241b (I,
Augustus), C 30
8) B4, O13, R16, T01 Exe:
ROM ET AVG RIC 246 (I,
Augustus)
9) Ba, O01, R01, T08
RIC I 48, C 3
AE Dupondius 10) B4, O09, R17, T06
RIC I 90
11) B4, O13, R15, T01 Exe:
ROM ET AVG RIC 236a (I,
Augustus)
AE As 12) B1, O09, R12, T08 RIC 211 (II,
Titus), C 73
13) B1, O09, R26, T08
RIC I 44
14) B1, O14, R24, T10
RIC I 34
15) B3, O09, R20, T13
RIC I 64
16) B3, O09, R28, T05
RIC I 59
17) B3, O09, R28, T05
RIC I 65, C 22
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