Hi all! It's not often I manage to acquire a coin that may be said to be "the only specimen in private hands." But this one, as far as I know, qualifies. It is an as struck under Vespasian; perhaps unremarkable at first glance, it is nevertheless an extremely rare type formerly known from a single specimen held by the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Both coins were struck from the same die pair. VESPASIAN, AD 69-79 AE As (29.2mm, 11.78g, 6h) Struck AD 71. Rome mint Obverse: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III, laureate head of Vespasian right Reverse: P-AX AVGVSTI, Pax, draped, standing left, holding branch in right hand and cornucopia in left; S C in fields References: RIC II.1 312 (R3, same dies); RCV – ; ERIC II – . Green-brown patina with scattered encrustations. An extremely rare type, apparently the second known after the RIC plate coin (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford), and struck from the same dies. Incidentally, this coin confirms the reverse legend given in RIC, which, owing to the worn condition and off-center strike of the Ashmolean specimen, was initially only a supposition. It's a rather minor thing, but I find it satisfying that my coin can bring a little bit of added knowledge to RIC. No need for that question mark now! Thanks for taking a look and feel free to comment/post your own rare Vespasian coins, or anything else!
A Dupondius similar to the reverse on your As but not near as rare (although it was once owned by John Q. Adams): VESPASIAN Æ Dupondius OBVERSE: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M T P COS V CENS, radiate head left REVERSE: FELICITAS PVBLICA S-C, Felicitas standing facing, head left, holding caduceus & cornucopiae Struck at Rome, 74AD 10.2g, 28mm RIC 716, (RIC [1962] 555), Cohen 152, BMC 698 Ex: J.Q. Adams
I grew up with and graduated High School with a Michael Quincy Adams. Due to assigned seating in school, we always sat near or beside each other. He was a direct descendant of John Quincy Adams, with the Quincy name carried down throughout their family. Smart guy, in various sports, and school clubs with me. Only 100 in my class, so got to know him growing. Lost all contact with him when we graduated HS. He never made a big deal about his ancestry. However, he explained his middle name when we made fun of it. We did not harrass him, just called him Quince sometimes. Just watched a history show last nite about first photos / derraugetypes of US famous people. John Quincy Adams has the distinction of being the oldest, as he was photographed in 1840’s, and that he was born in 1767.
Here's the one in my collection. It's a bear to photograpy because the coin is black and gives off "hot spots" at every light sourse.
Not as nice, nor as scarce. I did own this one but parted with it when slimming down my collection some years back. Vespasian Dupondius Obv:– IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III, Radiate head right, globe on neck Rev:– VICTORIA NAVALIS S - C, Victory standing right on prow, holding wreath and palm Minted in Lugdunum. A.D. 70-71 References:– Cohen -. RIC II 481 var (Not listed in RIC with this bust and legend combination) Additional comments coutesy of Curtis Clay:- “A coin like yours, from the same obv. die, was in M&M's Voirol Sale of 1968, lot 385, ex Hall Sale, 1950, lot 1203. A second spec. from that same die pair is publ. by Giard, Lyon, 42/1a, pl. XLIII, Coll. Gricourt. BMC 809 pl. 38.7 has obv. CAESAR not CAES and a broader portrait on shorter neck. Paris doesn't have this type on a COS III dup. of Vesp. at Lugdunum, but their As, Paris 812 pl. LXVII, is from the same rev. die as your dupondius! Obviously quite a scarce item, and an attractive specimen!”
