One of the most recognisable denarii of the Roman Empire, issued at Lugdunum during the reign of Tiberius. The type is widely known in numismatic literature and on the collecting market as the “Tribute Penny.”
The obverse depicts Tiberius as son of the deified Augustus – DIVI AVG F, clearly emphasising the dynastic continuity of the new Principate. Tiberius, who succeeded Augustus after his death in AD 14, presented his reign as a continuation of the political order established by his predecessor.
The reverse depicts a seated female figure, generally interpreted as Pax and traditionally also identified as Livia, the mother of Tiberius. The legend PONTIF MAXIM refers to the office of Pontifex Maximus, the highest priesthood of Roman state religion.
The type owes much of its fame, however, to its traditional association with the Biblical “Tribute Penny.” The denarius of Tiberius is most frequently suggested as a possible coin corresponding to the denarius mentioned in the Gospel account of the question concerning the payment of taxes to Caesar. It cannot, however, be proven that this specific type was the coin referred to in the Biblical text.
Regardless of this identification, the present denarius remains one of the most iconic coins of the early Roman Empire, combining the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty with one of the best-known passages of the New Testament.
Roman Imperial
Tiberius (14-37), Denarius 14-37, Lugdunum mint (Lyon)
Obverse: laureate head right
TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS
Reverse: Livia (as Pax) seated right on a chair with ornamented legs, holding a long inverted spear with her right hand and an olive branch in her left
PONTIF MAXIM
Diameter 19 mm, weight 3.66 g
