RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 153 Sestertius

Monetary Context

The accession of Vespasian in late AD 69 ended the destructive period of the Year of the Four Emperors. The immediate task confronting the new administration was the reconstruction of fiscal stability and imperial infrastructure across Rome and the provinces. Bronze coinage had experienced severe disruption during the later reign of Nero and the civil wars, resulting in regional currency shortages. In AD 71, after securing Rome and celebrating a joint triumph with his elder son Titus over Judaea, Vespasian initiated an extensive minting program at the imperial mint in Rome. The sestertius, valued at four asses or one quarter of a silver denarius, was the primary large-denomination base-metal coin in western circulation. It functioned both as an indispensable instrument of day-to-day commercial transactions and as a high-visibility platform for state messaging. RIC 153 belongs to this key transitional period in AD 71, where dynastic permanence was presented directly to the public through the renewed issue of massive orichalcum or bronze denominations authorized formally by the Senate.

Production and Mints

Production of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 153 is attributed securely to the primary mint of Rome. In AD 71, the Rome mint expanded its workforce and operations to support immense emissions of gold, silver, and bronze denominations. Sestertii of this period were cast as heavy flans of copper alloy, predominantly brass or orichalcum, and struck with heavy iron dies operated by multiple mint workers. Typical Flavian sestertii of this emission group maintain an average weight around 24 to 28 grams and a diameter spanning 33 to 35 millimeters, although individual flans exhibit natural production variance. Die alignment for Rome during this reign was predominantly regular, oriented along a vertical axis (twelve o'clock or six o'clock). The engraving style displays the characteristic realism of early Flavian art, marked by deep relief and meticulous rendering of anatomical features and drapery.

Obverse Imagery

The obverse of RIC 153 features the mature, unidealized portrait of Vespasian facing right. The emperor is shown bare-necked with a laurel wreath bound behind the head, the ribbons descending toward the nape. Unlike the youthful and heroic conventions of Julio-Claudian imperial iconography, Flavian portraiture deliberately embraced veristic details, depicting the emperor's lined brow, heavy jaw, and receding hairline to convey senatorial gravitas, military experience, and pragmatic leadership. The portrait is encircled by a continuous border of dots, interrupted only where the truncation of the neck approaches the bottom rim.

Reverse Imagery

The reverse design presents Vespasian's two sons, Titus and Domitian, standing opposite one another in a formal heraldic composition. Both princes are depicted in military garb, each holding an upright spear, emphasizing their shared role as guardians of the empire's military integrity. Titus, standing on one side, also holds a parazonium, a triangular ceremonial dagger that symbolized military virtue and commander status. Domitian, standing on the other side, holds a rolled document or scroll, signifying administrative preparation, civic responsibility, and legal standing. Flanking the figures or placed in the lower field is the traditional abbreviation S C (Senatus Consulto), confirming senatorial sanction for the bronze issue. The composition creates a balanced visual statement of dynastic succession, reassuring the Roman public that the stability of the principate was securely anchored across generations.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The obverse legend reads IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M TR P P P COS III, articulating the full constitutional titles of Vespasian. This records his imperial acclamation (Imperator), adoption of the dynastic title Caesar, the honorific Augustus, the religious authority of pontifex maximus (P M), the tribunician power (TR P), the civic distinction pater patriae (P P), and his third consulship (COS III). The reverse legend reads CAES AVG F DESIG IMP AVG F COS DESIG ITER S C, which translates to Caesar, son of Augustus, designated Imperator, and son of Augustus, consul designate for the second time, accompanied by the senatorial authorization Senatus Consulto. This detailed inscription directly explains the roles of the two princes depicted, affirming their legal designations and imperial lineage within the newly founded Flavian dynasty.

Typology and Chronology

The chronological window for RIC 153 is fixed firmly to the year AD 71 by the combination of imperial titles. Vespasian entered his third consulship on January 1, AD 71, holding it alongside Titus. Furthermore, the reverse references Titus as designated imperator and Domitian as consul designate for a second term (holding his second consulship in AD 73). In the second edition of RIC II, Part 1, edited by Carradice and Buttrey, this emission is placed within the early Rome mint sestertius series of AD 71. It forms part of a deliberate thematic series struck during that year showcasing the Flavian imperial family, celebrating the restoration of civic order and the secure succession guaranteed by the two adult sons.

Circulation and Monetary Function

As a principal denomination of base-metal currency, sestertii struck at Rome in AD 71 circulated widely throughout the western provinces of the Roman Empire, including Italy, Gaul, the Rhineland, and Hispania. The coin's large surface area ensured high visibility, making it an efficient vehicle for spreading political and dynastic messages to legionaries, merchants, and regional elites. Because of the heavy bronze mass and the durable nature of copper alloys, Flavian sestertii frequently remained in active circulation for decades, often exhibiting substantial wear, countermarking, or corrosion when recovered in archaeological contexts dating as late as the Antonine or Severan periods.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. II: Vespasian to Domitian. pp. 115-117
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 153. ric.2_1(2).ves.153
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II, Part 1: Vespasian to Domitian (AD 69-96). p. 75, no. 153