I believe that this 'Otho' of mine IS a genuine coin, but I have been wrong before, and there are a lot of 'reproductions' out there. Does anyone have any reasons to suspect that this coin is not genuine? AR18.2mm., 2.92gm. (Edit: No edge seam.)
congrats ... I am at the same stage you're at => how much do I spend on the 12 Caesars (hey, they're definitely "not" my prime focus, but I do want at least an example of all 12 rulers) Topcat, looks like you've scored an example that'd be good enough for my collection ... I merely need to tick-off that box where the 207 rulers are concerned (those 12 are no better than the rest) ... ooooh, he did not just say that!!
LOL, yeah, I am in a SLOW race for the 207 Rulers... Hmmmm... I AM up to 137 of them... Maybe by my 10th lifetime I might get up to 200...
Ooops, and CONGRATS @Topcat7 , I never judge a coin whether fake or not, however, that is a good looking one in my book.
It appears genuine (to my eye). I'd be VERY surprised if counterfeiters made phony Othos with this much wear on the reverse -- I would think they would have a little more reverse detail showing at least some of the reverse legend. The obverse portrait's high points provide a reasonably decent profile of Otho, plus the obverse legend has the emperor's name clearly readable, and makes this a worthwhile addition to your collection.
@IdesOfMarch01 Thank-you. I appreciate everyone's comments. (Edit: The reverse legend is SECVRITAS P R. The coin is RIC I. 8.)
I think it is genuine as well. Does the 207 rulers include empresses and caesars who never became augusti as well? If so, how many of the 207 were augusti?
a) Yes ... and b) I'm not sure NOTE: I merely refer to the 207 that are listed in ERIC-II RULER - RECORDS - % of total - RARITY 1 Constantine I 37428 5.611 MC 2 Trajan 23970 3.593 MC 3 Gordian III 23811 3.569 MC 4 Hadrian 23442 3.514 MC 5 Antoninus Pius 21400 3.208 MC 6 Augustus 20021 3.001 MC 7 Constantius II 19395 2.907 MC 8 Septimius Severus 18340 2.749 MC 9 Gallienus 16139 2.419 MC 10 Caracalla 15350 2.301 MC 11 Probus 15171 2.274 MC 12 Severus Alexander 14992 2.247 MC 13 Vespasian 14978 2.245 MC 14 Marcus Aurelius 14959 2.242 VC 15 Philip I 11653 1.747 VC 16 Anonymous 11480 1.721 VC 17 Domitian 11411 1.711 VC 18 Constantine II 11155 1.672 VC 19 Aurelian 10059 1.508 VC 20 Licinius I 10017 1.502 VC 21 Julia Domna 10015 1.501 VC 22 Nero 9714 1.456 VC 23 Diocletian 9052 1.357 VC 24 Commodus 8950 1.342 VC 25 Maximian 8821 1.322 VC 26 Claudius I 8569 1.285 VC 27 Faustina II 8474 1.270 VC 28 Postumus 8439 1.265 VC 29 Claudius II 8195 1.228 VC 30 Elagabalus 7988 1.197 VC 31 Constans I 7909 1.186 VC 32 Faustina I 6909 1.036 VC 33 Valens 6567 0.984 VC 34 Crispus 6275 0.941 C 35 Valentinian I 6167 0.924 C 36 Tiberius 5925 0.888 C 37 Geta 5498 0.824 C 38 Trajan Decius 5450 0.817 C 39 Julian II 5372 0.805 C 40 Maximinus I 5364 0.804 C 41 Titus 5132 0.769 C 42 Lucius Verus 5034 0.755 C 43 Nerva 4597 0.689 C 44 Theodosius I 4552 0.682 C 45 Arcadius 4325 0.648 C 46 Galerius 4165 0.624 C 47 Valerian I 3953 0.593 C 48 Gratian 3837 0.575 C 49 Julia Mamaea 3823 0.573 C 50 Philip II 3670 0.550 C 51 Maximinus II 3656 0.548 C 52 Constantius I 3649 0.547 C 53 Salonina 3318 0.497 C 54 Honorius 3289 0.493 C 55 Trebonianus Gallus 3215 0.482 C 56 Magnentius 3172 0.476 C 57 Caligula 3066 0.460 C 58 Victorinus 2991 0.448 C 59 Otacilia Severa 2757 0.413 C 60 Helena 2609 0.391 C 61 Theodosius II 2530 0.379 C 62 Lucilla 2526 0.379 C 63 Tacitus 2460 0.369 C 64 Tetricus I 2450 0.367 LC 65 Galba 2421 0.363 LC 66 Maxentius 2414 0.362 LC 67 Anastasius I 2409 0.361 LC 68 Vitellius 2386 0.358 LC 69 Valentinian II 2258 0.338 LC 70 Macrinus 2164 0.324 LC 71 Agrippa 2133 0.320 LC 72 Sabina 2126 0.319 LC 73 Volusian 2046 0.307 LC 74 Jovian 2034 0.305 LC 75 Carinus 1996 0.299 LC 76 Licinius II 1915 0.287 LC 77 Clodius Albinus 1909 0.286 LC 78 Julia Maesa 1897 0.284 LC 79 Carausius 1840 0.276 LC 80 Herennia Etruscilla 1764 0.264 LC 81 Crispina 1759 0.264 LC 82 Constantius Gallus 1566 0.235 LC 83 Numerian 1504 0.225 LC 84 Magnus Maximus 1471 0.221 LC 85 Aelius 1468 0.220 LC 86 Leo I 1379 0.207 LC 87 Severina 1360 0.204 LC 88 Carus 1340 0.201 LC 89 Tetricus II 1294 0.194 LC 90 Plautilla 1283 0.192 LC 91 Allectus 1235 0.185 LC 92 Germanicus 1215 0.182 LC 93 Quintillus 1176 0.176 LC 94 Florian 1093 0.164 LC 95 Pertinax 1074 0.161 LC 96 Pupienus 1058 0.159 LC 97 Herennius Etruscus 1050 0.157 LC 98 Delmatius 1044 0.157 LC 99 Galeria Valeria 980 0.147 S 100 Maximus Caesar 945 0.142 S 101 Zeno 945 0.142 S 102 Fausta 938 0.141 S 103 Procopius 935 0.140 S 104 Severus II 922 0.138 S 105 Decentius 913 0.137 S 106 Vetranio 906 0.136 S 107 Otho 870 0.130 S 108 Marcian 861 0.129 S 109 Diadumenian 841 0.126 S 110 Valerian II 823 0.123 S 111 Valentinian III 814 0.122 S 112 Aelia Flaccilla 805 0.121 S 113 Balbinus 780 0.117 S 114 Julia Soaemias 759 0.114 S 115 Julia Paula 707 0.106 S 116 Orbiana 659 0.099 S 117 Antonia 650 0.097 S 118 Aemilian 638 0.096 S 119 Hostilian 605 0.091 S 120 Vabalathus 577 0.086 S 121 Mariniana 515 0.077 S 122 Saloninus 514 0.077 S 123 Nero Claudius Drusus 492 0.074 S 124 Pescennius Niger 483 0.072 S 125 Theodora 465 0.070 S 126 Julia Titi 460 0.069 S 127 Drusus 459 0.069 S 128 Marius 445 0.067 S 129 Didius Julianus 440 0.066 VS 130 Livia 421 0.063 VS 131 Agrippina I 388 0.058 VS 132 Eudoxia 383 0.057 VS 133 Magnia Urbica 363 0.054 VS 134 Hanniballianus 360 0.054 VS 135 Paulina 352 0.053 VS 136 Flavius Victor 333 0.050 VS 137 Macrianus 320 0.048 VS 138 Quietus 313 0.047 VS 139 Aquilia Severa 294 0.044 VS 140 Eugenius 278 0.042 VS 141 Gordian II 269 0.040 VS 142 Gordian I 242 0.036 VS 143 Johannes 220 0.033 VS 144 Romulus 203 0.030 VS 145 Marciana 192 0.029 VS 146 Didia Clara 189 0.028 VS 147 Manlia Scantilla 184 0.028 VS 148 Domitia 169 0.025 VS 149 Constantine III 159 0.024 VS 150 Laelianus 158 0.024 VS 151 Basiliscus 143 0.021 VS 152 Eudocia 140 0.021 VS 153 Anthemius 138 0.021 VS 154 Julian I 120 0.018 VS 155 Pulcheria 120 0.018 VS 156 Plotina 113 0.017 R 157 Agrippina II 105 0.016 R 158 Galla Placidia 101 0.015 R 159 Nigrinian 95 0.014 R 160 Majorian 92 0.014 R 161 Domitius Domitianus 89 0.013 R 162 Libius Severus 81 0.012 R 163 Matidia 78 0.012 R 164 Alexander 63 0.009 R 165 Pacatian 60 0.009 R 166 Julius Nepos 58 0.009 R 167 Verina 55 0.008 R 168 Tranquillina 49 0.007 R 169 Domitilla II 47 0.007 R 170 Jovinus 47 0.007 R 171 Caius Caesar 44 0.007 R 172 Martinian 40 0.006 R 173 Zenonis 39 0.006 R 174 Honoria 38 0.006 R 175 Nepotian 36 0.005 R 176 Britannicus 35 0.005 R 177 Clodius Macer 35 0.005 R 178 Domitilla I 34 0.005 R 179 Maximus 30 0.004 R 180 Leo II 29 0.004 R 181 Cornelia Supera 28 0.004 VR 182 Licinia Eudoxia 24 0.004 VR 183 Priscus Attalus 24 0.004 VR 184 Uranius Antoninus 24 0.004 VR 185 Dryantilla 23 0.003 VR 186 Regalianus 23 0.003 VR 187 Zenobia 23 0.003 VR 188 Valerius Valens 22 0.003 VR 189 Romulus Augustus 18 0.003 VR 190 Constantius III 17 0.003 VR 191 Petronius Maximus 17 0.003 VR 192 Avitus 15 0.002 VR 193 Jotapian 15 0.002 VR 194 Annia Faustina 6 0.001 XR 195 Euphemia 5 0.001 XR 196 Glycerius 5 0.001 XR 197 Ariadne 4 0.001 XR 198 Constans II 4 0.001 XR 199 Olybrius 4 0.001 XR 200 Sebastianus 2 0.000 XR 201 Proculus 1 0.000 XR 202 Saturninus 1 0.000 XR 203 Constantia 0 0.000 NA 204 Silbannacus 0 0.000 NA 205 Domitian II 0 0.000 NA 206 Leontius I 0 0.000 NA Sum 667076 100.000 Count 206 Mean 3254.029 Variance 5520.444 All figures coinvac.com .... ooops, apparently the latest tally only includes "206" rulers? (this is an updated ERIC-II list ... updated from the list in my ERIC-II book) I think Gil-galad posted this updated list a year or so ago? (I have it ear-marked in my coin-notes) Oh, and "yes" I realize this study is merely one data point and can't be used as a strict guide to rarity (but at least it's one data point, eh?) => Oh, and Otho sits right in the middle of the pack at "107"
I doubt that Tetricus, Licinius II and Volusian play in the same league (LC) rarity-wise as Galba, Vitellius, Aelius, Clods Albinus and Pertinax :-D. Reason must be that ERIC II does not include dealer and flea market sales...
Realize this list is for IMPERIAL issues. There are several personages depicted on provincial issues (various wives and children, particularly those of early rulers). Moreover, there are people that are rare in the imperial series that are common on provincials, such as Tranquillina, the wife of Gordian III, whose imperial coins are extremely rare and expensive, but are plentiful and cheap on provincials. The same can be said about Macrinus and Diadumenian.
Thank you. Personally, I have a list of 212 by the criteria you note. For me, I don't care whether they ar Imperial or Provincial. I am having fun trying to get as many portraits that I can. But, that is fun for me.
