Tiberius Sestertius RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 67

Monetary and Political Context

Under the currency system established by Augustus and maintained by Tiberius, the sestertius formed the flagship denomination of official base-metal coinage. Valued at one-quarter of a silver denarius or four copper asses, the sestertius was manufactured from orichalcum, a golden-toned brass alloy composed primarily of copper and zinc. Its substantial diameter and broad surface area provided an ideal medium for complex architectural and religious compositions that were unfeasible on smaller denominations. The issue catalogued as RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 67 belongs to the closing months of Tiberius's reign, dating to AD 36 to 37. During this era, the imperial administration utilized base-metal coinage to project core themes of the principate, including religious restoration, institutional concord, and dynastic stability. In the aftermath of the crisis surrounding Sejanus earlier in the decade, the renewed emphasis on Concordia recalled the emperor's longstanding role as the restorer of civic and domestic peace.

Production and Mint Organization

The entire issue of RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 67 was struck at the imperial mint in the capital city of Rome. Production of orichalcum coin flans involved casting rounded blanks into open or closed molds followed by careful hammering between engraved dies. Die engravers cut intricate positive designs into hardened bronze or iron dies, demonstrating exceptional miniature relief work to accommodate the numerous architectural and sculptural details of the temple. The target weight standard for Tiberian sestertii clustered around 25 to 28 grams, with typical diameters ranging between 34 and 37 millimeters, though individual specimens naturally vary due to manual flan preparation and subsequent wear. The prominent inclusion of the formula Senatus Consulto demonstrates the traditional jurisdictional framework of early imperial bronze coinage, wherein the Senate officially authorized token emissions while following imperial fiscal directives.

Obverse Design and Architectural Iconography

The obverse presents an elaborate perspective view of the Temple of Concordia Augusta located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill in the Roman Forum. Rebuilt by Tiberius in the name of himself and his deceased brother Drusus, the temple possessed a unique transverse ground plan due to spatial constraints beside the Tabularium. On the coin, this layout is rendered as a central hexastyle portico framed by projecting side wings. Between the central columns of the cella, Concordia is shown enthroned, facing left, holding a patera in her right hand and a cornucopiae in her left. Flanking the steps on lateral podia stand statues of Hercules on the left and Mercury on the right. The pediment is adorned with relief figures, while its apex and acroteria bear a monumental sculptural group featuring Jupiter flanked by Juno and Minerva, accompanied by standing figures and Victories holding trophies at the roof corners.

Reverse Design

The reverse of RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 67 is epigraphic and symbolic rather than pictorial. At the center of the field, two oversized letters, S C (for Senatus Consulto), command the visual space. This monumental abbreviation affirms that the bronze coinage was struck under senatorial decree, preserving the traditional Augustan constitutional formula. Encircling the central letters is Tiberius's full imperial titulature, neatly rendered along the perimeter within an outer pelleted border. The clean, balanced layout of the reverse contrasts intentionally with the dense decorative detail of the obverse temple, ensuring that the issuing authority and formal validation remained legible to users throughout the empire.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The reverse inscription reads continuously around the central S C: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST P M TR POT XXXIIX. In expanded Latin, this translates to Tiberius Caesar Divi Augusti Filius Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate octavum et tricesimum. The legend identifies Tiberius as the son of the deified Augustus, holding the office of chief priest (Pontifex Maximus) and exercising tribunician power for the thirty-eighth time. The numeral XXXIIX represents an archaic subtractive formulation for 38. The obverse carries no peripheral legend, allowing the architectural relief to occupy the entire circular die surface. Epigraphically, the lettering is cut in classic Julio-Claudian lapidary capitals with neat triangular serifs and standardized letter heights.

Typology and Chronological Classification

The chronological anchoring of RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 67 is securely established by the tribunician date TR POT XXXIIX. Tiberius first received tribunician power in 6 BC, but after a long lapse it was renewed annually starting in AD 4. His thirty-eighth renewal commenced on June 27, AD 36, and extended until his death on March 16, AD 37. Consequently, this type was produced during the final nine months of his life. In earlier numismatic catalogues, including the first edition of Roman Imperial Coinage, the Temple of Concordia type was recorded under varied numbering and sometimes paired with earlier tribunician dates, such as TR POT XXXVI and XXXVII. In C. H. V. Sutherland's revised second edition of RIC I, the type with TR POT XXXIIX is definitively classified as number 67.

Circulation, Use, and Archaeological Evidence

As a primary high-denomination base-metal coin, the sestertius circulated extensively across Italy and the western provinces, including Gaul, Hispania, and the Rhine frontier. Archaeological excavations and river deposits demonstrate that Julio-Claudian sestertii experienced protracted circulation life, often remaining in commerce for decades until worn nearly flat or withdrawn during later monetary reforms. Because the Temple of Concordia sestertii combined practical commercial utility with overt civic symbolism, specimens travelled through major civilian and military trade networks. The sharp detail of the temple sculptures on well-preserved examples highlights that dies deteriorated over extended striking runs, resulting in later production states that display die rust and edge cracking before individual dies were retired.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume I: Augustus to Vitellius. pp. 139-140
2. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 110-115
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC I (second edition) Tiberius 67. ric.1(2).tib.67
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I: From 31 BC to AD 69 (Revised Edition). p. 99, no. 67