Most recent purchase - Vitellius

Since @Cucumbor broke the ice on Otho... I recently found a nice little Otho from Alexandria... I liked it because it was different from most Otho's collected...


Roman Empire
Otho
AD 69 Ruled 3 months (Suicide 16-Apr - just when I captured it from JA!)
Billon AR Tetradrachm
23mm, 11.9gms
Year 1; Egypt-Alexandria.
Obv.:AVTOK MAΓ OΘΩNOΣ KAIΣ ΣEB; Laureate head right, L A in right field
Rev: RΩ-MA; Helmeted, cuirassed bust of Roma right.
EX: Ionnes Antonius (John Anthony); Brian Bucklan collection

 

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Very nice coins, one and all. Thank-you for sharing your coins.
I bought a Galba (only to find that P. Sulpicus Galba wasn't the Emperor, Galba), and I almost had an 'Otho', recently, but my pockets were not deep enough, and I missed. That's the way it goes, sometimes. There are as many stories as there are coins. Isn't it great?

 

IMP M OTHO CAE AVG / S C
Semis, Antiochia, February-April 69
24 mm / 9,28g
RPC I, 4319, McAlee 323 (c)

 

ahahaha => what happened?

All of a sudden Julius Germanicus arrives on the scene!! (great job!!)





=> I love it!! (keep-up the great work!!)

 

Nice coin, Julius Germanicus, und herzlich willkommen bei uns!

 

Welcome Julius!

Show us more of your coins.

John

 

Thanks everybody :-D

So here is my Vitellius (I did not want to spend a fortune on something better):

A VITELLIVS IMP GERMAN / FIDES EXERCITVVM S C
As, Tarraco, January/July 69
RIC 42, BMCRE 103

 

This was the first sestertius of Galba I obtained for my collection. It is not without its defects as seen, but it bears a nice, robust portrait of the aging emperor.

Galba was every bit as stern as he is portrayed in some of his coins. This was useful and probably a virtue when leading the legions along the Rhine, but not so much when it came to playing the intricate diplomatic games needed to stay in power (and alive!) back in Rome.
His undoing came when he refused to purchase the loyalty of his soldiers.


Galba. AD 68-69. Æ Sestertius (36mm, 27.42 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck circa August-October AD 68.

Obv: IMP • SER • SVLP • GALBA CAES • AVG • TR • P, laureate and draped bust right
Rev: LIBERTAS PVBLICA, S C across field, Libertas standing left, holding pileus in right hand and cradling scepter in left arm.
RIC I 309.

 

Really nice coin, love the portrait Julius Germanicus.

 

Great portrait for sure!

 

I only have one Vitellius (one is enough at the prices they are) Denarius, Concordia reverse RIC 1 90, 17mm, 2.63gm. 69 AD. Rome.

 

@Topcat7 , I forgot to toss in my Vilellius!!!

Been worn down and shined for presentation!

RI Vitellius 69 CE AR Denarius Pont Max Vesta Seated Obv-Rev.jpg

 

I'm new to Ancients and heard I had to have one of these. Did I do ok? I wanted the oldest ones I could find first. Are there older ones? Plan on using a Dremel to remove it for plastic tomb.

 

There are many of these and many are nicer but most nicer (better centering) will sell for more. I'd say OK here. Can you make out what the countermark is?

 

The coin in post one may look a bit worse for wear, but so did real Vitellius by the end of his short and troubled reign.