Tiberius Copper As RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 72

Monetary Context and Historical Setting

The death of Augustus in August AD 14 posed an unprecedented constitutional challenge for the nascent Roman Empire. Tiberius, stepping into the role of princeps, faced the imperative of consolidating his administrative authority while anchoring his legitimacy in the divine prestige of his adoptive father. Following the formal consecration of Augustus by the Senate in September AD 14, the imperial mint initiated a dedicated series of commemorative bronze issues. The as designated as RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 72 was produced within this immediate post-deification environment, typically dated to AD 15 to 16. In the reformed Augustan currency system, the copper as served as the fundamental workhorse denomination of daily Roman commerce. Valued at one-sixteenth of a silver denarius or four copper quadrantes, the as passed through all levels of civilian and military society, making it the ideal vehicle for ideological messaging. By placing the deified Augustus on base-metal currency, the Tiberian administration ensured that the image of the divine founder of the dynasty saturated public life across Rome and the provincial markets.

Production Standards and Minting

RIC Tiberius 72 was struck exclusively by the imperial mint at Rome. Production conformed to the technical parameters established during the late Augustan monetary reforms, utilizing unalloyed copper rather than the brass or orichalcum reserved for sestertii and dupondii. Surviving specimens across major collections show that individual planchets generally cluster around a target weight between 10.0 and 11.5 grams, with typical diameters ranging between 27 and 30 millimeters, although ancient manual flan manufacture and striking tolerances naturally caused variance. Die alignment across this series is commonly adjusted to a six-o'clock or twelve-o'clock orientation. Dies were hand-engraved with consistent stylistic treatments by the Rome mint artisans, characterized by classical Augustan facial profiles and neatly lettered inscriptions. The high production volume of the type is evidenced by the numerous die combinations recorded in hoards and institutional holdings, reflecting an intensive minting effort during the opening years of Tiberius's reign.

Obverse Iconography and Attributes

The obverse of RIC Tiberius 72 features a left-facing portrait of Augustus wearing the corona radiata. The radiate crown directly signifies apotheosis, associating the deceased emperor with Sol and the celestial realm. This solar imagery is intensified by two specific divine attributes integrated into the field: an eight-pointed or six-pointed star above the head of Augustus and a winged thunderbolt positioned vertically in front of his profile. The star evokes the Sidus Iulium, the comet seen during the funeral games of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, which had come to symbolize the transition of the mortal ruler into a heavenly being. The thunderbolt, the supreme weapon and emblem of Jupiter, explicitly designates Augustus as an earthly counterpart to the supreme deity, elevated to the status of Divus Augustus Pater. The dignified, ageless portrait adheres to the idealized Prima Porta physiognomic model, emphasizing enduring serenity and transcendent authority.

Reverse Iconography and Interpretation

The reverse composition depicts a draped, veiled female figure seated facing right on an ornamental chair or stool. In her extended right hand, she holds a patera, a shallow libation dish used in Roman sacrificial rituals, while her left hand supports a long vertical sceptre resting on the ground line. Flanking the seated figure in the field are the large, bold letters S and C, denoting Senatus Consulto. The precise identity of this seated figure has generated considerable scholarly discussion. Traditional numismatic catalogues, including early volumes of RIC and the British Museum catalogues, frequently identified the figure as Livia, the newly styled Julia Augusta, represented in the guise of female pietas, Concordia, or Ceres. Alternatively, some scholars view the figure as an ideal personification of divine or priestly devotion associated with the imperial cult, or even a representation of the seated cult statue of Divus Augustus or a corresponding divine consort. The combination of the sacrificial patera and regal sceptre unites sacred ritual practice with dynastic majesty.

Epigraphy and Legends

The legends on RIC Tiberius 72 are concise yet deeply programmatic. The obverse legend reads DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER, beginning from the lower left and continuing along the circular border. This legend confirms the constitutional and religious reality established by the senatorial decree of September AD 14: Augustus is officially Divus (deified) and Pater (Father of the Country and the Roman People, as well as the dynastic ancestor of the ruling family). The omission of Tiberius's own name on this series is intentional; the legitimacy of the issue relies entirely on the filial connection implied by the posthumous honors rendered to the divine progenitor. The reverse carries no narrative titular legend, displaying only the prominent abbreviation S C (Senatus Consulto) across the left and right fields. This senatorial formula underscored the traditional constitutional authority governing base-metal coinage at Rome, confirming that the honors paid to Augustus enjoyed the explicit endorsement of the Senate.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology of the second edition of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume I, RIC Tiberius 72 is classified among the initial consecutive bronze emissions of Tiberius's reign, securely dated to AD 15-16. It forms part of an interconnected family of consecration asses that share the radiate portrait of Augustus. While closely related types feature Augustus facing left without celestial attributes, or paired with reverse motifs such as an altar enclosure (as in RIC Tiberius 81) or an eagle, RIC Tiberius 72 is specifically distinguished by the simultaneous presence of both the star above the head and the thunderbolt in front of the portrait, combined with the veiled seated female figure holding a patera and sceptre on the reverse. Slight stylistic variations in die cutting occur, such as the number of rays on the crown, the exact rendering of the star's points, and the drapery folds of the seated reverse figure, but the fundamental iconographic formula remains uniform throughout its limited issue period.

Circulation, Hoards, and Survival

RIC Tiberius 72 circulated extensively throughout the Mediterranean basin and the western imperial provinces. Archaeological findspots, river deposits, and site excavations in Italy, the Rhine frontier, Gaul, and the Iberian Peninsula demonstrate that these asses remained in active circulation for decades after their production. Because the intrinsic copper value of the as did not decline dramatically over the early Julio-Claudian period, specimens struck under Tiberius frequently circulated alongside later issues of Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. Many surviving examples show extensive surface wear, countermarking by western provincial legionary authorities, or smoothing consistent with prolonged commercial use. Hoard evidence confirms that while Divus Augustus asses were produced in substantial numbers, well-preserved pieces retaining sharp details on the celestial star and the thunderbolt are relatively scarce due to the sustained transactional velocity of small-change bronze.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume I: Augustus to Vitellius. pp. 141-143
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 72. ric.1(2).tib.72
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I: From 31 BC to AD 69 (Revised Edition). pp. 95-99, no. 72