The
reverse commemorates the end of the
Jewish War and is
part of the 'Judaea Capta' series that
Vespasian issued soon after he became emperor. The coin depicts a Jewess, seated before a
palm tree (representing the land), with her
hands tied behind her back and in mourning. Clearly no academic interpretation is needed to understand what is meant by this
reverse design.
This particular
reverse is a much scarcer
type than the
standard Jewess seated before
trophy. Possibly it was considered too harsh and was discontinued, explaining it's
rarity. Was this
type minted first and then the milder form of the design appeared?
This coin is a replacement upgrade for one I purchased six years ago. Is it better? I'm not so sure. The
flan is oblong (but large at 21.5 mm), the
obverse slightly double struck, and the details are not as
sharp on the
reverse. With all that being said, I like the
toning, the beaded
border is almost in full on the
reverse (a
rarity for an early
Vespasian denarius), and the
style is quite attractive. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all.
RIC 4,
BMCRE 43,
RSC 229
Rome Mint, 69-70 AD
Obv -
IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG;
Head of
Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev -
IVDAEA in ex.; Jewess (as
type of
Judaea), draped and veiled, seated r. on ground,
head inclined downwards, l. knee drawn up, hand bound behind back and fastened to palm-tree
