Ira and Larry Goldberg Auctioneers
Auction 100 5-6 Sep 2017
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Titus. Gold Aureus (7.28 g), as Caesar, AD 69-79. Rome, under Vespasian, AD 74. T CAES IMP VESP PON TR POT CENS, laureate head of Titus right. Reverse: PAX AVG, Pax standing facing, head left, leaning on column, holding winged caduceus over purse on tripod, and olive-branch. RIC 529; BN -; BMC 410; Calicó 747. Boldly struck on a nice full flan, perfectly centered with full legends. NGC grade XF; Strike: 5/5, Surface: 3/5. Estimate Value $10,000 - 12,000
Pax, the Roman personification of peace, is appropriate for the reverse of this coin in the year following the final defeat of the Jewish rebels by Titus at their stronghold of Masada in AD 73. The plunder that he carried home from the Jerusalem Temple won him great glory in Rome and paid for the building of the Colosseum. The figure of Pax shown here is quite interesting. Associated with her person are several symbols generally only within the sphere of other deities - the winged caduceus of Felicitas, the purse of Mercury and the column of Securitas. The message is clear: with Titus's final victory in Judaea, better times have returned, leading to prosperity and security for Rome.
Pax, the Roman personification of peace, is appropriate for the reverse of this coin in the year following the final defeat of the Jewish rebels by Titus at their stronghold of Masada in AD 73. The plunder that he carried home from the Jerusalem Temple won him great glory in Rome and paid for the building of the Colosseum. The figure of Pax shown here is quite interesting. Associated with her person are several symbols generally only within the sphere of other deities - the winged caduceus of Felicitas, the purse of Mercury and the column of Securitas. The message is clear: with Titus's final victory in Judaea, better times have returned, leading to prosperity and security for Rome.