TIBERIUS
AD 14-37 
AR Denarius. 3.69g, 18.3mm
MINTED: Lugdunum (Lyon) mint, circa AD 36-37
REF: RIC I 30; Giard Lyon, group 5
OBVERSE: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head to right; short parallel ribbons.
REVERSE: PONTIF MAXIM, Livia (as Pax) seated right on chair with ornamented legs, feet on footsool, holding olive branch and sceptre; single exergual line below.

Notes:
Well-centered obverse with a bold portrait of Tiberius.   An excellent example of the type with pleasant toning and complete devices.  
 
The "Tribute Penny" referenced in Matthew 22:20-22 of the King James version of the Bible holds significant historical and numismatic importance. In this biblical passage, Jesus employs a coin as a visual aid in answering a question posed to him regarding the obligation of Jews to pay tribute to the Roman emperor.
 
When Jesus asks whose image is on the coin, and the response identifies it as that of Caesar (ie., the emperor), he imparts the memorable counsel: "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."  This profound statement underscores the distinction between secular and spiritual responsibilities.     
 
Among a number of candidates, this specific denarius type of Tiberius, the reigning emperor during Jesus's ministry, is the one most often regarded as being the "Tribute Penny" referred to in the Bible.  In light of its biblical connection and historical resonance, this type has consistently remained amongst the most highly coveted and sought-after in the Roman series of coinage, epitomizing the intersection of faith, history, and numismatics.
 
Historical Notes:
Under his stepfather, Augustus, Tiberius became one of Rome's most capable generals.  Despite his military successes and abilities, he was not Augustus's first or even second choice as a successor.  He was, as it happened upon Augustus's death, the only one left. When he donned the purple robes of the emperor in AD 14, Tiberius was already a middle-aged man of 54, dour and taciturn.  It wasn't long before tragedy and the pressures of rule turned him disillusioned and paranoid.   

In 23, Tiberius's son Drusus died, most probably poisoned by the power-hungry Praetorian Prefect, Sejanus.  Sejanus was a close friend of Tiberius, and the emperor had grown to greatly rely on him.  In 27, Sejanus even persuaded Tiberius to retire to the island of Capri, leaving the governing of the empire entirely in his hands.  For a number of years, Sejanus behaved and ruled as de facto emperor of Rome, until he too fell from grace when secret suggestions reached Tiberius in Capri that Sejanus might be planning his overthrow.  Tiberius had Sejanus executed without trial in 31, and the purges and numerous treason trials that followed cemented Tiberius's reputation as a paranoid and unstable tyrant. When he died in 37 at the age of 77, he was not mourned by many in Rome.