Watch List notes:

The Roman Empire
Tiberius augustus, 14 – 37

Drachm, Caesarea Cappadociae 33-34, AR 3.85 g. TI CAES AVG PM – [T]R P XXX – V Laureate head of Tiberius r. Rev. DRVSVS CAES TI AVG F COS II TR P IT Bare head of Drusus l. C 2. BMC 171. Sydenham Caesarea 4. RIC 86. CBN 159. RPC 3622.
Two finely executed portraits of unusually good style.
Light iridescent tone and extremely fine

Privately purchased from Harlan J Berk.

I did not, as a rule, collect provincial coins of the twelve Caesars. Every so often though a coin would appear that I felt was too nice to pass up. Here is a great portrait of Drusus in silver. MSG

Drusus was the son of Tiberius and husband of Livilla, his cousin and also sister to Germanicus and Claudius. Drusus had an active and successful political and military career. Unfortunately his wife was coerced by the traitor Sejanus to issue a slow acting poison to her husband and he eventually died in 23 AD. He had been granted tribunician powers in 22 AD and would have been the logical successor to Tiberius. With his death it became possible for Caligula to succeed Tiberius.