TIBERIUS SILVER DENARIUS – AMAZING DOUBLE STRIKE ERROR OF TRIBUTE PENNY BIBLICAL TYPE – VF ROMAN IMPERIAL COIN OF THE 12 CAESARS (Inv. 21306)

RESERVED

21306. ROMAN EMPIRE. TIBERIUS, AD 14–37.
Silver Denarius, 3.43 g, 19 mm. Issue of Lugdunum.
Obv. [TI CAESAR DIVI] AVG F AVG[VSTVS], laureate head of Tiberius right. Rev. [PONTIF] MAXIM, female figure (Livia as Pax) enthroned right, holding scepter and olive branch
RIC I rev, 26.
VF, some graininess, a remarkable double strike which in essence doubles the head of Tiberius on the coin.

This coin type is widely believed to be the “tribute penny” of the Bible, the type of coin handed to Jesus when he was questioned about the legitimacy of paying taxes to Rome. Best known is Christ’s wise reply: ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then He said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.’