Orichalcum Dupondius of Galba RIC 370

Orichalcum Dupondius (27mm, 13.71g) AD 68-69 Rome

Obv:  IMP SER GALBA CAES AVG TR P, Laureate head right

Rev: PAX AVGVST S-C, Pax standing left, branch in right hand, cradling cornucopia in left

RIC 370  Sear (not listed) ex Caribou Coins

This coin is an Orichalcum Dupondius minted right in the middle of one of the wildest, most chaotic reality-show moments of ancient Roman history: The Year of the Four Emperors (68–69 AD).

To understand why this specific coin is so fascinating, we have to look at the messy drama surrounding the man on the front: Emperor Galba.

 The Backstory: Chaos After Nero

For nearly a century, Rome had been ruled by the Julio-Claudian family (Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero). But in 68 AD, the wildly unpopular Emperor Nero committed suicide, leaving no heir.

Suddenly, the throne was up for grabs, and the Roman military realized a groundbreaking secret: emperors didn't have to be born into royalty; they could be made by the armies out in the provinces!

Galba was a grumpy, wealthy, 71-year-old traditionalist governor out in Spain. His soldiers declared him emperor, and he marched into Rome to take charge. He became Emperor Number One of that chaotic year.

The Irony of the Coin

If you look closely at the details of the coin, there is a hilarious amount of political spin happening on both sides:

• The Front (Obverse): It features Galba’s face with the title IMP SER GALBA CAES AVG TR P. Galba was not related to Julius Caesar or Augustus, but he slapped "Caesar" and "Augustus" onto his name anyway to make himself look legitimate to the public.
• The Back (Reverse): It features the goddess Pax (Peace) holding an olive branch and a cornucopia of plenty, with the words PAX AVGVST ("The Peace of the Emperor"). This was pure propaganda! Galba's reign was anything but peaceful. He was trying to reassure a terrified Roman public that everything was totally fine and stable.

Why Galba Didn't Last

Spoiler alert: things were not fine. Galba was a strict, old-school disciplinarian who took over a bankrupt empire. To fix the budget, he made the ultimate rookie mistake: he refused to pay the Praetorian Guard (the elite imperial bodyguards) their customary "signing bonus" bonus money. He famously declared:

"I choose my soldiers, I don't buy them."

The bodyguards did not appreciate the frugal lifestyle. After just seven months in power, Galba adopted a random nobleman as his heir, completely snubbing his early supporter, a guy named Otho.

Furious, Otho bribed those same unhappy bodyguards. On January 15, 69 AD, they attacked Galba right in the middle of the crowded Roman Forum, killed him, and threw his head on a spear. Otho then became Emperor Number Two!