Obverse: Portrait of the Emperor Crowned in a
Laurel Wreath
Reverse: Text AVGVR TRIPOT with Sacrifical
Implements: Ladle, Whip, Jug, and Lituus
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.4003)
|
