Over six years ago Harry Sneh sold me this rare Eastern 'o' mint denarius. Titus as Caesar AR Denarius 2.90g (6h) Ephesus(?), 76 AD RIC 1485 (R), BMC p. 102 note, RSC 87, RPC 1459 (2 spec.) Obv: T CAES IMP VESP CENS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r. 'o' mint mark below neck Rev: FIDES PVBL; Hands clasped over caduceus, two poppies and two corn ears Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection, acquired from Sayles and Lavender, 2009. Harry noted how difficult it was for him to obtain an example of the type and only sold me the above example when he was able to upgrade. Recently, a nice example of the type showed up in trade, reasonably priced too. I could not resist. Titus as Caesar AR Denarius 3.28g (12h) Ephesus(?), 76 AD RIC 1485 (R), BMC p. 102 note, RSC 87, RPC 1459 (2 spec.) Obv: T CAES IMP VESP CENS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r. 'o' mint mark below neck Rev: FIDES PVBL; Hands clasped over caduceus, two poppies and two corn ears I can justify keeping both of them because they have different die axes. Post your upgrades or duplicates!
Nice upgrade, V70 (congrats) Hmmm? => PT-IV may be my only double ... I'll check again, tomorrow Oh, and the only reason that I have both is because I was drunk and I couldn't decide which one to buy, so I bought 'em both!! (ahhhh, the good ol' daze, when I didn't have a coin budget, eh?) ... well, I guess those daze are the reason that I now have a coin-budget?!!
Not a duplicate but I;d love to upgrade it. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG P M T P P P COS III, bust laureate r. resting on globe and with aegis on shoulder FIDES EXERCITVVM, S C in ex. , clasped hands before legionary eagle on prow.
I guess these are duplicates? ... but these four Pontos Amisos examples are all different colours and each has little things that the other's didn't seem to have, so I bought 'em all ...
Congrats! That really is a major upgrade and an attractive coin, to boot. Sometimes upgrades are less than obvious... Original: Upgrade (no, seriously):
LOVE the upgrade David!!! I have 'mass quantities' of coins I could easily upgrade LOL but not 'duplicates' in the usual sense. I have been trying hard not to have any since I just returned back to ancients in 2015 and had to replace virtually everything I once owned and adding 'new' coins keeps getting in the way of upgrades
Very nice upgrade David. I had to try three times to get the one that I wanted. I am, of course, keeping all three.
Vespasian70, this is my ignorance speaking, but how exactly do you determine whether a denarius was minted at Ephesus vs. some other mint? is it in the style of the bust? or the lettering?
The way that I determine the mint is to use RIC as my reference. It lists this coin as "Uncertain Mint (Ephesus?)" It is a very nice upgrade, especially the legibility of the reverse legend.
Yes, yes, and yes. Also, on better preserved specimens there is a small annulet below the portrait. Once you see enough of these, the style is the easiest way to tell. Unfortunately, despite all these tell-tale signs, many sellers get these 'o' mint denarii confused with Rome mint examples and vice-versa.
It certainly is an upgrade, congrats The excellent portrait style on the first alone one would justify keeping both, no need of the die axis... Q
