The New York Sale
Auction 48 14 Jan 2020
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
Vespasian, with Titus, as Caesar. Gold Aureus (7.69 g), AD 69-79. Minted in Alexandria, Egypt after the fall of Jerusalem, AD 70. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head of Vespasian right. Reverse: IMP T FLAVIVS CAESAR AVG F, laureate head of Titus right. RIC 1528; BN 314; BMC 496; RPC 1906.5 (this coin); Calicó 711. Extremely Rare. Luster present. Superb Extremely Fine. Value $50,000 - UP
In June of AD 69, Vespasian, the Roman commander of the ongoing repression of the Jewish Revolt had delegated the siege of Jerusalem to his son, Titus, so that he could proceed to Rome and claim the disputed imperial purple for himself. He advanced to Egyptian Alexandria in order to take ship to Rome, but was prevented from immediate departure by storms. Vespasian was still in Alexandria in December of AD 69, when he learned that his rival Vitellius had been defeated and that the Senate recognized him as Augustus.
The new emperor remained in the city well into AD 70, in order to solidify his support at the source of Rome's grain supply and to quell a revolt that erupted due to a series of unfavorable tax reforms. In an effort to recoup financial losses incurred by the treasury during the Year of the Four Emperors, Vespasian imposed a variety of taxes, the most odious of which was the vectigal urinae, a urine tax on public toilets. Even Titus is said to have thought this tax was taking things a little too far, but when he complained to his father, Vespasian is said to have told him to smell the money collected from the tax, noting that it did not stink even though it was derived from urine. Nevertheless, the new taxation regime caused disturbances in Alexandria and briefly halted grain shipments to Rome. Vespasian's settling of the problem as well as rumors that he was blessed by the Egyptian gods and had miraculous healing powers added to his public image as a savior of the Rome and the Empire.
Vespasian had reached Rome by the middle of AD 70 and on August 30 of the same year Titus captured and destroyed Jerusalem, thereby ending the Jewish Revolt for all intents and purposes. After a period of celebratory traveling through Syria and a diplomatic meeting with Vologases I, the king of the Parthian Empire, Titus followed his father to Alexandria in order to sail for Rome. However, he caused some concern when he visited Memphis and wore a traditional diadem to consecrate the sacred Apis bull. The wearing of the diadem smacked of kingship and resulted in suspicion that he might rebel against his father.
The present aureus, which features wonderfully veristic portraits of Vespasian and Titus was undoubtedly struck in Alexandria when the victorious Titus was present in AD 70 waiting to return to Rome, if not already when Vespasian had stayed in the city. Titus was proclaimed Caesar by the Senate at the same time that his father was recognized as Augustus. On both occasions it would have been necessary to strike gold and silver coins to cement the loyalty of the Alexandrian elite and especially the legions stationed there. In the aftermath of the conquest of Judaea, Titus also would have been distributing celebratory largesse, some of which was probably struck from the spoils of Jerusalem.
While Titus was in Alexandria, one wonders whether the double portrait type of this coin may have fueled the reported rumors claiming that he planned revolt against his father. The types depict Vespasian and Titus as virtual equals, both wearing the laurel wreath typical of emperors and the only indicator that Titus was not a full equal comes at the end of his titulature. Whereas Vespasian is AVG (Augustus), Titus is merely AVG F (filius Augusti, i.e., "son of the Augustus"). The fact that only a single letter stood in the way of rebellion may have been worrying to those who had just lived through the chaos of the Year of the Four Emperors, but they need not have been concerned. However, here the double portraits were really intended to advertise a new Flavian dynastic stability in order to allay fears of the disintegration of authority that had followed the suicide of the childless Nero. As history would bear out, Titus was extremely loyal to his father.
Ex Hess-Divo 311 (22 October 2008), 527; Ex Ferruccio Bolla Collection (Tkalec/Astarte, 28 February 2007), 23; Ex MMAG XXVIII (19 June 1964), 306.
In June of AD 69, Vespasian, the Roman commander of the ongoing repression of the Jewish Revolt had delegated the siege of Jerusalem to his son, Titus, so that he could proceed to Rome and claim the disputed imperial purple for himself. He advanced to Egyptian Alexandria in order to take ship to Rome, but was prevented from immediate departure by storms. Vespasian was still in Alexandria in December of AD 69, when he learned that his rival Vitellius had been defeated and that the Senate recognized him as Augustus.
The new emperor remained in the city well into AD 70, in order to solidify his support at the source of Rome's grain supply and to quell a revolt that erupted due to a series of unfavorable tax reforms. In an effort to recoup financial losses incurred by the treasury during the Year of the Four Emperors, Vespasian imposed a variety of taxes, the most odious of which was the vectigal urinae, a urine tax on public toilets. Even Titus is said to have thought this tax was taking things a little too far, but when he complained to his father, Vespasian is said to have told him to smell the money collected from the tax, noting that it did not stink even though it was derived from urine. Nevertheless, the new taxation regime caused disturbances in Alexandria and briefly halted grain shipments to Rome. Vespasian's settling of the problem as well as rumors that he was blessed by the Egyptian gods and had miraculous healing powers added to his public image as a savior of the Rome and the Empire.
Vespasian had reached Rome by the middle of AD 70 and on August 30 of the same year Titus captured and destroyed Jerusalem, thereby ending the Jewish Revolt for all intents and purposes. After a period of celebratory traveling through Syria and a diplomatic meeting with Vologases I, the king of the Parthian Empire, Titus followed his father to Alexandria in order to sail for Rome. However, he caused some concern when he visited Memphis and wore a traditional diadem to consecrate the sacred Apis bull. The wearing of the diadem smacked of kingship and resulted in suspicion that he might rebel against his father.
The present aureus, which features wonderfully veristic portraits of Vespasian and Titus was undoubtedly struck in Alexandria when the victorious Titus was present in AD 70 waiting to return to Rome, if not already when Vespasian had stayed in the city. Titus was proclaimed Caesar by the Senate at the same time that his father was recognized as Augustus. On both occasions it would have been necessary to strike gold and silver coins to cement the loyalty of the Alexandrian elite and especially the legions stationed there. In the aftermath of the conquest of Judaea, Titus also would have been distributing celebratory largesse, some of which was probably struck from the spoils of Jerusalem.
While Titus was in Alexandria, one wonders whether the double portrait type of this coin may have fueled the reported rumors claiming that he planned revolt against his father. The types depict Vespasian and Titus as virtual equals, both wearing the laurel wreath typical of emperors and the only indicator that Titus was not a full equal comes at the end of his titulature. Whereas Vespasian is AVG (Augustus), Titus is merely AVG F (filius Augusti, i.e., "son of the Augustus"). The fact that only a single letter stood in the way of rebellion may have been worrying to those who had just lived through the chaos of the Year of the Four Emperors, but they need not have been concerned. However, here the double portraits were really intended to advertise a new Flavian dynastic stability in order to allay fears of the disintegration of authority that had followed the suicide of the childless Nero. As history would bear out, Titus was extremely loyal to his father.
Ex Hess-Divo 311 (22 October 2008), 527; Ex Ferruccio Bolla Collection (Tkalec/Astarte, 28 February 2007), 23; Ex MMAG XXVIII (19 June 1964), 306.