An interesting
reverse type. My opinion, without consulting my notes or having read up on the subject:
Virtus is a lady, so the naked
man in the coin
type can only be the emperor, portrayed as a
man of valor according to the
legend. Similarly the
legend VIRTVS AVG or
VIRTVTI AVGVSTI is joined with
types of Emperor riding down enemy under Sept.
Sev., and of
Hercules standing under
Gordian III, to name just two of the earlier parallels.
Nude depictions of the emperor are
rare on coins. Two other occurrences: statue of nude
Octavian atop rostral
column on
IMP -
CAESAR denarii of Augustus/Octavian; nude figure of
Caracalla, perhaps taking over a
type of the heroic
Alexander the Great, on
denarii of 200, with
legend RECTOR ORBIS or
PONTIF TR P III.
Galba's
type seems to be
rare with this
obv. legend ending P M (omitted in your description above, though not in your
gallery).
Cohen 343 cites this variety from the Gosselin Sale of 1864, and
RIC 236 says "confirmation required". I find your specimen and four others in
CoinArchives Pro. Several of the four others seem to share their
rev. die or both dies with yours; I can't compare easily because my printer refuses to print out the pictures for me.
