Tiberius AE Dupondius (CLEMENTIAE, RIC I 38)

TIBERIUS, AD 14-37
AE Dupondius (27.93mm, 13.71g, 12h)
Struck circa AD 22/3. Rome mint
Obverse: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST IMP VIII, laureate head of Tiberius left
Reverse: CLEMENTIAE, small facing bust within laurel wreath at center of elaborately decorated circular shield; S–C on either side
References: RIC I 38 (S), RCV 1767

Glossy green patina. A very rare and interesting type proclaiming the emperor's clemency - a quality for which Julius Caesar had been famous, and which his successors sought to emulate. The exact reason for Tiberius' issue of this type is still debated, as well as the identity of the facing bust in the shield's center.

Collezione : Roman Imperial - the Julio-Claudians