This is one of the first group of coins I bought a couple years ago when I first took the plunge into ancients and Roman coins in particular. Was visiting MGM in Munich and dove in deep. I had sort of forgotten about this one as I was looking at Titus coins recently online, and have just visited the Flavian Amphitheater in Rome a couple weeks ago. Wonder what would have happened if he had the same reign as Domitian. Titus AD 79-81 Lugdunum Dupondius (as Caesar) 77-78 Æ 27mm., 13,11g. Obv. T CAES IMP AVG F TR P COS VI CENSOR, laureate head right Rev. Roma seated left on cuirass, holding wreath and resting left elbow on a parazonium placed horizontally on three shields. S-C across fields, ROMA in exergue RIC 1263, S. 146, Paris 866 Your favorite Flavian?
Constantine I You can see on this coin his name was FLavius VALerius CONSTANTINVS, Members of Constantine's family started using the name Flavius in homage to the Flavian dynasty. Constantine I A.D. 307 26mm 6.9g FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB C; laureate and cuirassed bust right. PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS; Prince, in military dress, holding standard in each hand; S-A across fields. In ex. PTR RIC VI Trier 734
For the provenance alone: 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 lot 785 of the John Quincy Adams sale (Stacks, 1971) purchased by Christian Blom. Chris sold it to Mendel Peterson of the Smithsonian Institution (it comes with his tag) who sold it to Gene Brandenburg, Trojan Antiques.
My current fav Flavian is this Vespasian Vespasian Denarius, RIC 360, (RIC [1962] 50), RSC 574, BMC 71 SEAR 2316 IMP CAES VESP AVG P M COS IIII, laureate head right / VES-TA to either side of Vesta standing left, holding simpulum & scepter.
Nice example of the type and not easy to find in trade! Here's mine. Titus as Caesar [Vespasian] Æ Dupondius, 12.42g Lyon mint, 77-78 AD Obv: T CAES IMP AVG F TR P COS VI CENSOR; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.; globe at point of bust Rev: ROMA in exergue; S C in field; Roma std. l. on cuirass, with wreath and parazonium; behind, shields RIC 1263 (R). BMC -. BNC 866. Acquired from Civitas Galleries, August 2022. As for my favourite Flavian? Most definitely this 'Colosseum' sestertius.
OOOH! A Flavian party! I have many Flavians which I am very partial toward, si t's hard to choose my "Fave Flave", but right now I'm feeling strongest attachment to this one: Vespasian, Emperor, AD 69-79. "JUDAEA CAPTA" commemorative series. Æ Orichalcum Sestertius. Struck in Rome, AD 71. Obv.: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG PM TR P P P COS III. Laureate head, right. Rev.: IVDEA CAPTA, SC ex.; palm tree, mourning Jewess sitting to the right, male captive standing left, behind him a pile of weapons, shields and helmet. Diameter: 34.4 mm. Weight: 26.3 grams. Attrib.: RIC II, part 1, 161 (R2). BMC 534. Hendin 1500.b. Notes: Full centering, complete legend. Many examples (if not most examples) of these types have been noticeably smoothed or tooled. On this exemplar the obverse has had only slight smoothing behind the head and in front of the nose and chin area, while the reverse is original with no smoothing/tooling. [Purchased from FORVM; ex-Jeff Michniak collection.] BTW: Should we invite the famous "Flavor Fave" to post here a Fave Flave? ;-) Here he is... radiate, wearing gold necklace...
Yeah boyeee! Here's my favorite Flavian Denarius. Very sharp details on this, especially on Minerva. Domitian; 81-96 AD, Rome, 88 AD, Denarius, 3.07g. RIC-553 (or is it RIC II 106var), Cohen 66var, BMC 114var Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VII Head laureate r. Rev: COS - XIIII across field, Minerva on rostral column fighting r., with owl before her legs. *Rare with short reverse legend placed horizontally across field with luster. (?) Not totally sure on the citations on this one. I am not exactly sure where I picked this one up, but I think locally from one of the münzen dealers.
Very nice provenance indeed! I would have trouble deciding between that and the Dupondius below... This is my newest Flavian and definitely my favorite Vespasian Dupondius. (Possibly my favorite Roman Imperial "provenance coin.") Henry Platt Hall --> JSW (J.S. Wagner) --> Curtis Clay Collections & RIC II.1 "Plate Coin," from Plaster Cast at Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Vespasian Æ Dupondius (27mm, 13.45 g, 6h), Rome mint, 71 CE. Obv: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III. Radiate head right. Rev: CONCOR AVG S C. Concordia seated left, sacrificing from patera over altar and holding cornucopiae. Ref: RIC II.1 (2nd Ed.) 263 (this coin ill. from plater cast at Oxford); also the Wildwinds "plate coin" (for RIC 263). Prov: HJB BBS 225 (30 Nov 2023), 23 [acq. 2 Oct 2023], Curtis Clay Collection, with his tray tags; CNG EA 169 (25 Jul 2007), 203, J.S. Wagner Collection, w/ tray tag; Glendining "Catalogue of the important collection..." (16 Nov 1950), Lot 1198 (part), Henry Platt Hall (1863-1949) Collection, part II (HJB: "whence plaster cast in Oxford; illustrated in RIC from that cast"). Hard to tell from photo but attractive, glossy surfaces: Honorable mention to this Vespasian Denarius (ex Archer Huntington [1870-1955], ex ANS & HSA Collection(s), with their old museum tag): https://www.cointalk.com/threads/vespasian-with-vesta-reverse.410272/#post-24928807
