A Rare Titus is Slab Free!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by David Atherton, Nov 14, 2016.

  1. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    I'm very pleased about my latest Titus denarius for a couple of reasons.

    Firstly, it's an exceedingly rare left facing type that is very hard to come by in trade. In nearly 12 years of collecting I've never come across this one. The eminent Flavian collector Harry Sneh once lamented to me that this left facing Column reverse along with Titus RIC 2 (Annona) were the only two denarius types of Titus as Augustus he was unable to acquire - just to give an idea of how rare the coin really is, despite the RIC frequency rating of 'rare'.

    Secondly, the coin was slabbed and I had the pleasure of freeing it! Unfortunately, it was auctioned by Heritage and I had to dearly fight for it. Luckily I won.

    T47aa.jpg

    Titus
    AR Denarius, 3.04g
    Rome Mint, 79 AD
    RIC 47 (R), BMC 28, RSC 291
    Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l.
    Rev: TR P VIIII IMP XV COS VII P P; Rostral column, ornamented at sides with beaks of ships and surmounted by a statue, radiate, naked except for cloak, standing front, holding vertical spear in r. hand and parazonium at side in l.

    The column reverse is a carry-over type from the last issue of Vespasian. Extremely rare with left facing portrait.

    Here is the coin in its slab 'tomb':

    T47slab.jpg

    I think this is much better:

    T47free.JPG
     
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  3. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    Very nice David. I am glad you were able to add this rare type to your collection.
     
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  4. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio

    Nice coin, and good job springing it from jail.
     
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  5. ancientone

    ancientone Well-Known Member

    Congrats on acquiring a special coin!
     
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  6. jwitten

    jwitten Well-Known Member

    Who clicked on the thread thinking it was a giveaway?!??
     
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  7. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    Another of the ungradeables? Do they not grade coins that are not EF+?
     
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  8. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Thanks. Amended the title so as not to cause confusion.
     
  9. jwitten

    jwitten Well-Known Member

    Might get more clicks with the old title ;)
     
  10. dadams

    dadams Well-Known Member

    Excellent!! "Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit." -Moliere
    Sounds like it has found an appreciative home.
     
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  11. jwitten

    jwitten Well-Known Member

    I thought there were several options. Cheap options with no grades, etc, or more expensive option with more info.
     
  12. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    oh dang, I thought you meant you got it for free...that would have been awesome.

    still, a cool coin for you collection...and cool to see it "out and about"!
     
    David Atherton likes this.
  13. Ancient Aussie

    Ancient Aussie Well-Known Member

    Nice coin David, actually after that type myself.
     
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  14. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Congratulations David. I would like to stumble across such a rarity some day, but with my budget, it's not likely.
     
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  15. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Congrats on scoring the rarity.. this one does look a lot happier out of the slab.
     
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  16. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Agreed. I think this is a more appropriate home.

    T47newhome.JPG
     
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  17. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    :rolleyes:

    Cool reverse ... I'm sure that it's very happy in its new home (I hope that both of you stay very happy together)
     
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  18. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Yeah, this is strange. I guess I could write NGC and ask about the new gradeless slabs, just to see what they say.

    @David Atherton, did this coin come from Heritage's eBay store? So far I've only seen the gradeless NGC slabs from Heritage, although I haven't gone out of my way to search for them elsewhere. I wonder if it is some special discount arrangement Heritage has with NGC.
     
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  19. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Yes, the coin is from their eBay store. I too was puzzled about the missing grade - it certainly didn't discourage folks from bidding though!
     
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  20. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I like your new and improved holder. It looks a lot like mine except I place my accession number in the lower left corner (in pen) and my sort number (in pencil because it can change) on the back flap. These numbers help associate the envelope and coin with my photo file and database entries.
     
  21. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    To be honest, I got the idea to switch over to paper envelopes about six months ago from a post of yours discussing your storage method. I really love using paper envelopes because they are traditional, functionally superior to other holders, and let's not forget cheap! So, I owe you a bit of gratitude.
     
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