Watch List notes:

THE ROMAN EMPIRE
The Civil Wars, 68 – 69

Aureus, Spain 68-69, AV 7.38 g. LIBERTAS – RESTITVTA Draped bust of Libertas r., wearing pearl necklace; hair looped above neck. Rev. S P Q R on round shield, all within oak-wreath. C 430. BMC p. 292, note 12. RIC 26. Martin 90. CBN 9. Calicó 463.
Extremely rare, apparently only the fifth specimen known. A very interesting
and historically important issue, about extremely fine


The Civil Wars of A.D. 68-69 began as a revolt by the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis, Gaius Julius Vindex, in opposition to the autocratic regime of Nero. Although the circumstances under which he revolted are unclear, Cassius Dio recorded that he "had a passionate love of freedom and a vast ambition" (Cassius Dio, 63.22.2). Vindex's revolt may have been a reaction to excessive taxes, or perhaps simply there had been a threat to his existence. In any case, in order to gain military support, Vindex allied with the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, Servius Sulpicius Galba. While Vindex was soon eliminated through the intervention of the armies of Germania Superior under the command of Lucius Verginius Rufus, Galba continued in open revolt, and began a long march on Rome. Galba's popularity grew, and he remained unopposed as he marched towards Rome. Nero fled the city, where he was immediately declared a public enemy by the Senate, and lacking any sort of military support and opposed from all sides, he committed suicide, thus bringing an end to the Julio-Claudian dynasty and paving the way for Galba to enter the city unopposed.
This wonderful coin was struck under Galba at an undetermined Spanish mint - probably at his capital of Tarraco where there already existed an established mint - sometime between April 2, A.D. 68 when he was hailed imperator by his troops at Carthago Nova, and early June when Nero committed suicide. All of the anonymous Civil War coinage is rare today, though initially it must have consisted of a very large output as numerous die-links exist within groups and between separate issues. In fact, denarii with these types also exist, and die-links between both the aurei and denarii of this issue have been noted. Sutherland notes that, along with the Bon Event / Rom Renasc type depicting a filleted female bust on the obverse and Roma standing to right, holding a small statuette of Victory and eagle-tipped scepter on the reverse (RIC 8-9), this coin "proclaimed the main motives for Galba's support of Vindex's revolt – the role of the senate in the restoration of constitutional freedom, and the happy outcome of the movement which would lead to a reborn Rome" (RIC I, p. 198).