Goldberg Coins and Collectibles



Sale 108
 
Lot 192

Vespasian. Gold Aureus (6.98 g), AD 69-79. Judaea Capta type. Lugdunum, AD 72. MP CAES VESPAS AVG P M TR P IIII P P COS IIII, laureate head of Vespasian right. Rev. DE IVDAEIS, trophy. Cf. Hendin 1472; RIC 1179; BN 305; BMC 402; Calicó 627c. Very Rare. Fine. Estimate Value $3,500 - UP
From the S. Moussaieff Collection, This lot has been officially exported from Israel through the Israel Antiquities Authority.
This gold aureus belongs to the vast coin series struck to celebrate the victory of Vespasian (and his son Titus) in the First Jewish Revolt, a bloody conflict that rocked the eastern territories of the Roman Empire between AD 66 and 73. Although the last pocket of Jewish rebels was only defeated at the desert fortress of Masada in AD 73, the major fighting was over and Titus had captured the Judaean capital at Jerusalem in AD 70. The Holy City was besieged for seven terrible months, during which the defenders were decimated by starvation, disease, and factional conflict among the rebel leadership. At last, Roman forces stormed Jerusalem, slaughtering and enslaving the defenders and plundering the sacred wealth of the Second Temple. Slaves and treasure were carried off to Rome by Titus in AD 71 to adorn the great triumph that he was to celebrate along with his father. This procession, in which a variety of Temple instruments, including a menorah, were carried before the Roman people is immortalized in a famous frieze from the Arch of Titus in Rome. The trophy type on the reverse of the present coin, with the simple statement, DE IVDAEIS ("From the Judaeans") serves as shorthand for the vast booty that was taken from Jerusalem and especially from the Temple. The historian Josephus reports that the quantities of gold, ivory, jewelry, and purple cloth in Vespasian's triumph that the procession resembled "a running river of wealth." The emperor subsequently tapped this river to cover the expenses of a grand new project to reshape Rome itself. He ordered an artificial lake belonging to the palace complex of the dead and disgraced Nero to be drained and used as the foundation for an enormous amphitheater. This amphitheater was to be used for the display of the gladiator shows and wild beast hunts that were such popular entertainments for the Roman public. It was officially described as the Flavian Amphitheater, but came to be known as the Colosseum after its location near a colossal statue of Nero in the guise of the sun god. This aureus and other gold coins produced in the context of Vespasian's triumph very well may have been struck from the gold objects carried off from conquered Judaea. And some were struck in order to pay for the construction of the Colosseum, which in its own somewhat sinister way was also DE IVDAEIS.
 
Realized $10,800



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