59, Lot: 142. Estimate $75. Sold for $370. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

LIVIA, mother of Tiberius. Æ Dupondius (35mm, 9.40 gm). Issued under Tiberius, 22-23 AD. Veiled and diademed bust of Livia as Pietas right / Legend around large S C. RIC I 43 var. (Tiberius; see below); Cohen 1 var. (same). VF, light brown surfaces, entire coin heavily tooled. SOLD AS IS, NO RETURNS.

This was lot 78 in E-Auction 57.

This dupondius, with PIETAS behind the bust instead of in the usual position below it, is referenced in Banti-Simonetti Corpus Nummorum Romanorum VIII as Livia 16, ex Schulman 254 (November 1971), lot 3251. The coin is from the same dies as Livia 15, but because of the tooling the pellet separating the S C on the reverse is not visible. The first coin of this type was noted in the Gréau Sale (Hoffmann, 1867). It is unclear whether this is an issue of the mint at Rome or the product of a provincial mint. It is also smaller and lighter than the typical Rome mint dupondius of the period.