LOT #23054 |
Current Bid: $260
Roman Imperial: Vespasian (AD 69-79). AE as (27mm, 9.20 gm, 7h). NGC Choice VF 4/5 - 3/5....
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Description
Vespasian (AD 69-79). AE as (27mm, 9.20 gm, 7h). NGC Choice VF 4/5 - 3/5. Lugdunum, AD 77-78. IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS VIII P P, laureate head of Vespasian right, globe at point of truncation / IVDAEA-CAPTA, palm tree in center with two bunches of dates, collection of arms in left field; Jewess seated right on cuirass in right field, right arm on knee, left hand propping head in attitude of mourning; SC in exergue. RIC II.1, 1233. GBC 6, 6593.From The Werner Collection. Ex Lückger Collection of Highly Important Roman Imperial Coins (Heritage Auctions, Auction 3067, 10 September 2018), lot 33374; Heritage Auctions, Auction 231809 (1 March 2018), lot 61084.
The famous reverse legend IVDAEA CAPTA refers to the triumph of Vespasian's son Titus over the Jewish rebels and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem the prior year. Six hundred years earlier, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II and his conquering army had destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem, carrying away the Jewish people as slaves back to Babylon. The Romans chose to leave the subjugated Jewish population in place, a mistake that would come back to haunt them in the Bar Kokhba Revolt 60 years later. But if not steal the Jewish population as the Babylonians had done, what did the Romans loot from Judaea as spoils of war?
Though the Romans had been enraged by the insubordination of the Jews, they held a certain respect for the ancient nature of the Jewish religion and its institutions, part of the reason that Roman authorities permitted Judaism while persecuting newer "cults" like Christianity. When the triumphant army of Titus descended upon the city in August AD 70, they fixated on the Temple, the center of the Jewish faith and therefore of the revolt against Rome. Before destroying the structure, the Roman legionaries looted the sacred relics of the Temple, including the Table of the Sacred Bread, a table of solid gold that held various food and drink that was a type of permanent offering to God. But the greatest prize of all was the gold menorah, which was paraded through the streets of Rome along with the aforementioned Table and the sacred trumpets during Titus' triumph. The whole scene, including the menorah, is featured prominently on the Arch of Titus, which still stands today in Rome.
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Auction Info
2025 November 30 Spotlight: Judaea Ancient Coins Showcase Auction #61558 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
November
30th
Sunday
6:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
November
30th
Sunday
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13 Days
2h 52m 39s
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World & Ancient Coins Session
(Lots 23001-23095) - 7:00 PM Central Time, Sunday, November 30, 2025.
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