Obverse: Laureate Bust of Emperor Facing
Right Surrounded by Text, "IMP CAESAR
VESPASIANVS AVG"
Reverse: Pair of Oxen Under Yoke, Text
Beneath, "COS VIII"
Vespasian was one of the most human of
all the Roman emperors. He appreciated a
good joke, even when he was the butt of
it. Legend states that he never had an
innocent man punished, and even wept for
condemned criminals when it was
necessary that they be executed. He was
an old soldier, and would often show
kindness to other old soldiers. He was
well aware of the labors of the common
man: his father was a tax collector, and
Vespasian himself had to become a mule
driver after he was banished from Nero's
court for falling asleep during one of
Nero's performances. Later, Nero made
him a general and put him in command of
an army sent to put down a revolt in
Judea. When Vespasian became emperor his
son Titus replaced him as general in
Judea and finally put down the revolt in
A.D. 70. Vespasian died on June 23, A.D.
79 after a short illness. As he was at
the point of death, he struggled to
stand up, saying that an emperor should
die on his feet. He even made a joke
about his own death. It was the custom
to consecrate popular emperors after
their deaths, declaring them a minor
god. Vespasian was heard to say as he
was about to expire, "Oh my, I fear I am
about to become a god!"
How many hands have touched a coin in
your pocket or purse? What eras and
lands have the coin traversed on its
journey into our possession? As we reach
into our pockets to pull out some
change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before
us, or where the coin will venture to
after it leaves our hands. More than
money, coins are a symbol of the state
that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether active currencies in
the age we live or artifacts of a long
forgotten empire. This stunning hand-
struck coin reveals an expertise of
craftsmanship and intricate sculptural
detail that is often lacking in
contemporary machine-made currencies.
Although history often leaves little
room for the benevolent leaders that
looked after the welfare of their
citizens, opting instead to highlight
those who started great wars or
constructed great monuments often at the
expense of the people, the memory of
Vespasian will live on in artifacts like
this coin: concrete remnants of ancient
empires passed from the hands of
civilization to civilization, from
generation to generation.
- (C.3029)
|
