The Roman Empire Vespasian, 69 – 79 Sestertius 71, Æ 27.58 g. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG P M TR P Laureate head r. Rev. VICTORIA AVGVS – TI S – C Victory standing r., l. foot on helmet, inscribing OB / CIV / SERV on shield set on palm tree. C –. BMC –. RIC 57 (this coin). CBN –. Hendin (with erroneous indication of rarity) An apparently unique variety of a very rare type. An unusual portrait struck in high relief and with a lovely dark green patina, about extremely fine / good very fine Ex M&M sale 76, 1991, 866.Vespasian and Titus issued an impressive array of commemoratives for their victory in Judaea. One such type, the VICTORIA AVGVSTI SC sestertius offered here, adopts the familiar composition of Victory inscribing a shield which she attaches to a tree or a trophy. In this case it is to a palm tree, a clear enough reference to the Jewish War. On some variants, as the extremely rare offered here, there is no figure of Judaea at the base of the tree, and on others the inscription is truncated to VIC AVG SC or VICTORIA AVG SC. The type is perhaps the oldest in the Jewish War series, as it was introduced by Vespasian's predecessor, Vitellius, on his sestertii of the Rome mint. On his coins the inscription and composition are identical to the present piece, though without the figure of Judaea. By the time Vitellius came to power the tide of the Jewish War had turned in favour of the Romans, making it possible to issue coins touting Rome's success. His coins of this type cannot refer to his victories over Otho in the civil war since the Romans did not officially celebrate victories over fellow citizens, and the use of a palm tree made the distinction clear. Kraay has observed that this composition was also used by Vespasian for his rare sestertii inscribed DEVICTA IVDAEA SC, and, importantly, Carradice and Buttrey have documented three VICTORIA AVGVSTI SC sestertii of Vespasian (RIC II, pt. I, nos. 57, 58, 127 and 217) struck with reverse dies originally used to produce coins of Vitellius. Also helping to prove the connection between the Judaea issues of Vitellius and Vespasian is the fact that Vitellius produced asses inscribed VICTOR AVGVSTI SC that show Victory alighting to the left, placing a shield on a trophy with Judaea seated at its base. This type also was adopted by Vespasian for his Jewish War commemorative series, sometimes with the expanded inscription VICTORIA AVGVSTI SC.