Posthumous Commemorative

Some variants of the type show the capricorns' bodies connected or overlapping with a much larger shield above.



Despite the difference, they are all assigned the same RIC number.

 

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Wow—that's quite different. Thanks for posting, David!

 

Me too, and I don't have much time lefffffffftt!

 

The Rome mint under Vespasian recycled many antiquarian types from the past, especially those struck for Octavian/Augustus. The capricorn was Augustus' birth sign, so it showed up frequently on his coinage as well as those coins struck for Vespasian. The more a 'new man' like Vespasian could emulate the founder of the empire, so much the better!

 

@Orfew has a capricorn denarius of Augustus, which you can see here.

What strikes me about Roman iconography is how consistent it could be, across centuries and hundreds of miles.

This provincial coin was struck way out in the provinces 250 years after Orfew's denarius. Yet it's pretty much the same design, down to the globe between the forelegs and the cornucopiae on the capricorn's back.


Cornelia Supera, AD 253
Roman provincial Æ 20.5mm, 3.78g
Mysia, Parium, AD 253
Obv: G CORN SUPERA, diademed and draped bust right
Rev: C. G. I. H. P., Capricorn right, cornucopia on back; globe between legs (Sear describes as a star, but this appears to be a globe)
Refs: SGI 4408 (var.); SNG Von Aulock 7448.

 

Great coins, folks, by the way!
I really like these capricorns, but I need one to my collection. The coin that I have that comes closest to these denarii is my aureus fourrée:


DIVUS VESPASIAN, posthumous memorial fouree gold aureus, copying an issue struck by TITUS, 79 AD. DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS, laureate head of Divus Vespasian right. Reverse - S C inscribed on shield supported by two capricorns, orb below. RCV 2569, scarce.

It’s an interesting coin, really. But trust me, it’s worst in hands...

 

Nice and interesting examples of capricorn/Vespasian denarii.

I don't have any capricorn to show, and the only Vespasian commemoratives I can contribute with were minted not far from two centuries later :


Vespasianus, Antoninianus Rome mint AD 250/251
DIVO VESPASIANO Radiate head right
CONSECRATIO Large altar
4.13 gr
Ref : RIC IV # 80, Cohen # 652, RCV # 9461
in qblay's catalog : VE31/P178



Vespasianus, Antoninianus Rome mint AD 250/251
DIVO VESPASIANO Radiate head right
CONSECRATIO Eagle facing
2.71 gr
Ref : RIC IV # 79, Cohen # 651, RCV # 9460,
in qblay's catalog : VE46/A124
ex. CNG

Q

 

Congratulations—it's a beautiful coin, Lord Marc!
Slabbing is a journey that many of us have traveled. I have not been slabbing any of my recent acquisitions because I'm having fun creating alternate display and presentation methods. I no longer feel the need to have the NGC guys (as much as I respect their opinions) inspect my coins. I have total trust in my dealers and have no doubts of the authenticity of my ancients.

 

Yes, aurei of the type were struck and are much rarer than the corresponding denarii.

 

The first question was answered by David with mastery.

As for the fourrées, they have always fascinated me. Of course I don't believe they are all old forgeries, just struck to deceive their bearer. I also believe that some were struck using official dies, both officially and "off label".
Once I read an article, but I can't remember which one, where 1 in 7 or 1 in 10 denarii were officially fourrées, in order to provide a retention of precious metal to the Treasury, thus with the State being able to retain more money, controlling the inflation. This of course doesn't apply to aureii or other gold coins. These were undoubtedly made by forgeries with the intention of winning over them. The most incredible thing is that the penalty for this type of felony was to play the damned to beasts (damnatio ad bestias). That is, an illicit activity of high risk.
The information I have of some treasure finds does not match however with the ratio presented above. I believe that by hoarding silver coins, their owners were much more careful and avoided it. Probably on finding a fourrée, it was returned to circulation. In a recent finding in the north of Portugal, which I am aware of, of about 2,500 denarii founded, less than 10 were fourrées.

 

If you had a piggy bank and a handful of coins, wouldn't you tend to save the better ones and see if you could not slip the lesser ones off on someone else. That is why there are so many worn denarii of Mark Antony. His coins were debased to Trajan period levels and circulated while folks saved their Neros. Why save a fourree?

 

Yes, it is still an application of the Gresham’s law, although very primitive in this case.

 

A too-cursory glance could easily lead to that conclusion, leading one to think someone was in fact continuing to pursue their hobby from beyond the veil.