this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2026
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Expanded from the abbreviations, the front says IMPERATOR CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVGVSTVS, PONTIFEX MAXIMVS, TRIBVNICIA POTESTAS, PATER PATRIAE, CONSVL III (check links for Wikipedia pages explaining each function/title). In English it's something like "Emperor Caesar Vespasian Augustus, Head Pontiff, Tribunicial Power, Father of the Fatherland, Three Times Consul".
The "Three Times Consul" thing shows this coin was issued in the year 71 of the common era. Vespasian had nine consulships; the 2nd to 4th were sequential, so if the coin was issued a bit before or after, the number after "COS" would change.
A lot of those existed already in Republican times, but temporary, and assigned to different people, in a system where one keeps the power of another in check. So in a certain sense that alphabet soup shows how the republic died โ gradual erosion of the separation of powers.
"Don't worry, he's just President, House Speaker, Chief Justice, Parliamentarian, Presiding Officer, and the Pope Himself; we still totally believe in restraining our ~~autocrat~~ ruler's power! He is, after all, only the first citizen!"
"What if he does something that even all those powers don't legally permit?"
"We let it happen, of course."
More like "We give him a new title that permits it!" At least in Roman times.