TIBERIUS SILVER DENARIUS – TOP GRADED TRIBUTE PENNY – MINT STATE NGC GRADED ROMAN IMPERIAL COIN OF THE 12 CAESARS (Inv. 19981)

$4,500.00

19981. ROMAN EMPIRE. TIBERIUS, AD 14–37.
Silver Denarius, 3.60 g, 17 mm. Issue of Lugdunum (Lyon).
Obv. [T]I CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST[VS], laureate head of Tiberius right. Rev. PONTIF MAXIM, female figure (Livia as Pax) enthroned right, holding scepter and olive branch.
RIC I rev 30.
NGC graded MINT STATE, Strike 5/5, Surface 2/5, among the 27 top graded MS specimens currently in the NGC census (25 MS, 2 MS Star).

Under Tiberius, this coin type has gained fame among numismatists for its probable involvement in the New Testament account of Jesus being questioned by the Pharisees and Herodians about the legitimacy of paying taxes to Rome. Although their intention was to get him to speak against the Romans and thereby obtain an excuse for his arrest, Matthew 22:19–21 reports that he responded to his questioners by saying, “‘Show Me the coin used for the poll–tax.’ And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, ‘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.’ And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away.”