Roman Sestertius for the Opening of the Colosseum
Lovingly crafted pewter collector's item
The original of this detailed coin replica comes from a mint in Rome and dates back to 80/81 AD. Today the original is located in the British Museum in London.
On the pure pewter coin replica, the Roman Emperor Titus is seated on a curule chair with a toga, holding a branch in his right hand and a scroll in his left. Various weapons are depicted around him: to the left an oval shield and above it a helmet, behind him two shields and spears.
The front side lovingly depicts the Colosseum (amphitheatrum flavium) from a top-oblique view. It is shown with four stories. Small statues can even be seen in the arches of the second story! Inside, you can see the fully occupied spectator stands. To the left of the Colosseum is a tall fountain (meta sudans) and on the right side a two-story building. The inscription reads: IMP-T-CAES-VESP-AVG-P-M-TR-P-P-P-COS-VIII and S-C in the field. This detailed Roman coin celebrated the completion of the Flavian Amphitheater (Colosseum) in the year 81 AD.
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IMP: Imperator – Title for the supreme commander or victorious general.
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T: Titus – First name of Emperor Vespasian.
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CAES: Caesar – Title originally reserved for Emperor Julius Caesar and later adopted by following emperors.
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VESP: Vespasianus – Family name of the emperor.
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AVG: Augustus – Honorary title for the Emperor, meaning "the revered".
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P M: Pontifex Maximus – Highest priest in the Roman state.
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TR P: Tribunicia Potestate – Holder of tribunician power, an office that granted the Emperor legislative authority.
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P P: Pater Patriae – "Father of the Fatherland", an honorary title for the Emperor.
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COS VIII: Consul for the eighth time – indicating that the Emperor held the office of consul for the eighth time.
In summary, the full titulature reads:
Imperator Titus Caesar Vespasianus Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Holder of Tribunician Power, Father of the Fatherland, Consul for the Eighth Time.
Roman Coin as Currency
The coin unit Sestertius (lat. sestertius) was the main accounting unit (monetary) in the Roman Republic and Empire. It originally had the value of two and a half As, hence the name 'the third (As) half' = semis tertius (as) and the sign IIS (II for 'two' + S for semis 'half'). From this, HS emerged. From around 130 BC, it was then worth four Asses or two Dupondii. The Sestertius first appeared in the 3rd century BC in the Roman Republic, was minted in silver at this time, and weighed just over one gram. In the 1st century BC, the Sestertius was first minted in bronze under Julius Caesar and issued in large quantities.
- Roman coin copy with Colosseum
- Colosseum coin made of pure pewter - patinated
- Size of the Colosseum coin 25-29mm
With the coin reform under Augustus, the Sestertius took its final form. This Sestertius defined the coinage for the next 200 years. Though weight and zinc content steadily decreased, the appearance and value of the coin remained constant as fractional money.
The regular production of Sestertii was - as well as all other bronze coins - due to inflation terminated with the emission of the year 264. The last bronze coins of comparable size were minted in 269 in Cologne and 275 in Rome, possibly as special issues.
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