Tiberius (AD 14-37). AR denarius (18mm, 3.70 gm, 8h). NGC Choice VF 4/5 - 2/5, brushed. Lugdunum, ca. AD 15-18. TI CAESAR DIVI-AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head of Tiberius right / PONTIF-MAXIM, Livia, as Pax, seated right, feet on stool, grounded scepter in right hand, olive branch in outstretched left; chair with ornate legs, single line below. RIC I 30. As the stepchild and unwanted heir of Augustus, Tiberius had a difficult act to follow. Nevertheless, for the first few years of his reign, he did a commendable job running the vast empire bequeathed to his care. Cautious and frugal, he engaged in no wars of conquest and kept the Empire's finances in good order. However, he soon tired of the endless toil and began handing off duties to his unscrupulous second-fiddles, namely the Praetorian Prefect Sejanus and his eventual replacement, Macro. The resulting bloodbath among members of his own family, and their Senatorial supporters, tarnished his name throughout history. There are reports that in the end, Tiberius did not die of natural causes. Suetonius, himself, believed rumors that Caligula had poisoned, starved, smothered him with a pillow, and then he fell dead. He was deified upon death. HID09801242017 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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