Forces of Galba in Spain. Anonymous, 3 April-2nd half of June 68. Aureus (Gold, 19 mm, 7.33 g, 6 h), uncertain mint in Spain. Group IV. LIBERTAS RESTITVTA Draped bust of Libertas to right, wearing braided hair and pearl necklace. Rev. Spanish round shield inscribed S P Q R; all within oak wreath with globe between two stars above. BMC 12 note and pl. 49, 25 (same dies). Calicó 463. CG 119.2 (this coin). Cohen 430. Martin 90 and pl. 8, 90 P (same dies) and 91 Ox1 (same dies, but in silver). Nicolas 55 and pl. XII, 55 P (same dies) and 56 OX1 (same dies, but in silver). RIC 26. Extremely rare, one of just seven known examples. Scrape on the reverse and with some minor bangs and marks on the edge, otherwise, nearly very fine.


Gollnow recorded some 40 civil war denarii with Libertas on the obverse and a Spanish round shield within an oak wreath on the reverse, making it one of the more common issues of the civil war. Clearly Libertas formed a focal point in Galba's early anonymous coinage, an observation that is further corroborated by the striking of aurei with the same types as the present coin. Like all civil war gold coinage, these aurei are extremely rare today: Gollnow recorded only seven examples, two of which are in museums and five of which are in private hands.

The emphasis on restoring the liberty of the Roman senate and people runs like a golden thread through Galba's early propaganda. In the early months of his revolt, the future emperor famously refused to pretend to the throne without the consent of the senate, calling himself the legatus Senatus Populique Romani. All of this fits perfectly with his self-representation as an old-fashioned aristocrat, whose adherence to the mos maiorum, the conservative Roman virtues of discipline, hard work, justice, piety, and devotion to public service, was well known. There is, however, also a distinctively local aspect to the present coinage, as the reference to the senate and the people of Rome (S P Q R) on the reverse is set on a Spanish round shield. As such, the issue draws a clear connection between the anonymous promise of restoring the liberty of the Romans by defeating the tyrant Nero on the one hand and the Spanish origin of Galba's revolt on the other.