Ancient Rome - 14-37 CE Tiberius AV Aureus NGC AU - 'Money of the Bible'

The message on the obverse, TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVTVS (“Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of divine Augustus”), was vital in signifying transition of power in the early Roman Empire. The title helped Tiberius to publicize his inherited right to rule, as Augustus’ heir and deified first Roman Emperor. The reverse design showing a female figure is commonly assumed to be Livia, mother of Tiberius and Augustus’s wife of fifty-three years. Livia is depicted as the Roman deity for peace, Pax. The writing around her, “PONTIF MAXIM”, refers to the title of Pontifex Maximus, a title held by each of the Roman Emperors that signified the religious power held by the Roman Emperor.

Caesar's Coin, by Peter Paul Rubens (1612-1614), dramatizes Jesus's discussion about a coin that bears the image of Tiberius: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."

The above phrase attributed to Jesus in the New Testament has become a widely quoted summary of the correlation between Christianity, secular government, and society as a whole. The original statement was in response to Jesus being asked whether it was lawful for Jews to pay taxes to Caesar. It gave rise to different analysis about the situation under which it is desirable for Christians to submit to an earthly power. The text names the coin as a δηνάριον dēnarion, and has historically been determined to be a Roman silver denarius that carries the image of Tiberius. The gold Aureus offered by AUCM presents the same imagery as the Roman silver denarius.