Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Auction 121 6-8 Oct 2022
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Vespasian. AD 69-79. AV Aureus (20mm, 6.97 g, 6h). "Judaea Capta" commemorative. Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Struck AD 72. IMP CAES VESPAS AVG P M TR P IIII P P COS IIII, laureate head right / DE IVDAEIS, trophy, consisting of helmet, cuirass, round shield, spear, and carnyx on right arm, two oblong shields and spear on left arm; greaves, round, and oval shields on ground. RIC II.1 1179; Lyon 55 (unlisted dies); Hendin 6504; Calicó 627c (same rev. die as illustration); BMCRE 402; BN –; Biaggi 316. Minor obverse die break, small deposits on reverse. Near VF. Rare.
Ex Gorny & Mosch 280 (11 October 2021), lot 607; Shlomo Moussaieff Collection (New York Sale XLV, 8 January 2019), lot 192, purchased between 1948-1980s.
The coinage series celebrating the Flavian dynasty's success in the Jewish War circa AD 66-73 was the broadest and most diverse issue of coins celebrating a Roman victory issued up to that time, comprising coins of every metal, denomination, and mint. They formed an important part of the overall propaganda campaign establishing the legitimacy of the regime, which had itself come to power as the result of a destructive civil war. The Gallic mint of Lugdunum, modern Lyon, produced this aureus with the inscription DE IVDAEIS (the DE abbreviating DEVICTA – "Judaea conquered"), from mid AD 72 to 73. During this period the last stronghold of the Judaean rebels, the mountaintop citadel of Masada, was placed under siege by the Roman governor of Judaea, L. Flavius Silva, leading Legio X Fretensis. After a titanic effort in constructing an immense siege ramp (with most of the labor provided by captive Jews), the Romans broke into the fortress on April 16, AD 73 only to find the defenders had committed mass suicide. Nevertheless, the Romans erected a trophy composed of enemy arms and armor, as on the reverse of this aureus, to commemorate their last victory of the long, bloody conflict.
Ex Gorny & Mosch 280 (11 October 2021), lot 607; Shlomo Moussaieff Collection (New York Sale XLV, 8 January 2019), lot 192, purchased between 1948-1980s.
The coinage series celebrating the Flavian dynasty's success in the Jewish War circa AD 66-73 was the broadest and most diverse issue of coins celebrating a Roman victory issued up to that time, comprising coins of every metal, denomination, and mint. They formed an important part of the overall propaganda campaign establishing the legitimacy of the regime, which had itself come to power as the result of a destructive civil war. The Gallic mint of Lugdunum, modern Lyon, produced this aureus with the inscription DE IVDAEIS (the DE abbreviating DEVICTA – "Judaea conquered"), from mid AD 72 to 73. During this period the last stronghold of the Judaean rebels, the mountaintop citadel of Masada, was placed under siege by the Roman governor of Judaea, L. Flavius Silva, leading Legio X Fretensis. After a titanic effort in constructing an immense siege ramp (with most of the labor provided by captive Jews), the Romans broke into the fortress on April 16, AD 73 only to find the defenders had committed mass suicide. Nevertheless, the Romans erected a trophy composed of enemy arms and armor, as on the reverse of this aureus, to commemorate their last victory of the long, bloody conflict.