Tiberius, AR Denarius - imitation; India? (originally Lugdunum); AD 14-37 or later.
Obv. Laureate head of Tiberius to the right. In front of the emperor's chin, a banker's mark (?). The legend begins at 5h position and reads TI CAESAR DIVI - AVC Γ AVCVSTVS (reversed clockwise).
Rv. A seated female figure (Livia) on the throne to the right, holding a long sceptre in the right hand and a branch in the left hand. The legend begins at the 5h position and reads PONTIF MAXIM (reversed clockwise).
Silver, 3.46 g, 17.5 mm, 7h. See RIC I p. 95 no. 30; Numismatik Naumann, Auction 54, 4.6.2017, lot 411; Auktionhaus H.D.Rauch, Auction 91, 5.12.2012, lot 281.
Grade: Near VF.
Barbarian imitation from India (?). The reverse is off-center. The lettering is weak, with characters of varying sizes and often not in proper order. The legs in the throne resemble motifs of bundles of lightning bolts seen in ancient coinage. On the other hand, the portrait is of good quality, without distortions, and appears original, and the weight is correct. In the obverse legend, the beginning "TI CAESAR..." and the ending "...VSTVS" appear to be original, while the other letters "DIVI - AVG F AVG" have clearly been retouched secondarily in the die (or matrix). These letters are of smaller size and appear to have been executed by someone not familiar with Latin; "G" is replaced with "C", and "F" is replaced with "Γ". In the reverse legend, the "P" and "F" in "PONTIF" also appear as "Γ", and this part has been retouched, unlike "MAXIM".
