★ Judaea Capta ★

VESPASIAN (69-79). GOLD Aureus. Rome. "Judaea Capta" issue.

Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG.
Laureate head right.
Rev: IVDAEA.
Judaea seated right, with head resting upon hand in attitude of mourning; trophy to left.

RIC² 1; Hendin 6492; Calicó 643.

Before becoming emperor, Vespasian made a career distinguishing himself in the invasion of Britain (43-44), then as consul in 51 and proconsul in Africa in 63. But his most important assignment came in 67, when he was sent to Judea to suppress the 'First Jewish Revolt'. Religious hatred began to spread when, in 40, Caligula ordered a statue of him to be placed in the temple in Jerusalem. The prince died shortly afterwards, so the revolt was only postponed and exploded in 66 due, according to Flavius Josephus, to the mismanagement of the Roman procurators, especially of Gessius Florus, guilty of stealing money from the temple treasury. Vespasian, with a 60,000-strong contingent, had control of the country within a year and was preparing to march on Jerusalem when, on hearing the news of Nero's death, he interrupted military operations to support Galba and recognise him as emperor.

Condition: Very fine.

Weight: 7.17 g.
Diameter: 19 mm.