A Coin I Waited 13 Years For

When I first started collecting Flavian coins in earnest over a dozen years ago, I came across a curious Ephesian denarius on Vcoins, a no mint mark Tyche reverse type in crude style. I held off at the time, but kept tabs on it over the years. When the new RIC was published, the coin was mentioned in the introduction. It continued to pop up on other coin venues over the next several years, going up in price with each successive appearance. Last year it ended up in a Belgium coin dealer's store and I finally decided to pull the trigger and obtain the piece.

It arrived over the weekend.





Vespasian
AR Denarius, 3.29g
Rome mint, 69-70 AD
RIC 1397 (R), BMC p. 89†, RSC 291, RPC 807 (5 spec.)
Obv: IMP CAES VESPAS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: PACI ORB TERR AVG; Turreted and draped female bust, r.
Acquired from NB Numismatics, March 2017. Ex VAuctions 292 (Imperial Coins), 6 December 2012, lot 130.

The first denarius issue at Ephesus was struck without mint marks and all of them are quite rare. This particular denarius has a peculiarly crude style compared with other Ephesian denarii. RIC II.1 authors Carradice and Buttrey comment about this coin in the introduction on p. 8 - 'a recent example seen in trade (Imperial Coins 2004) had the correct legend (and good weight for a denarius, at 3.29g) but a very different, inferior style on both the obverse and reverse. Is such a coin a barbarous imitation, or simply the product of a less able die-engraver employed at the start of a mint's output?' Curiously, the RIC plate coin of this same type from Oxford is in a similarly crude style. My hunch is that it is an official product of the mint. Interesting to note that Mattingly in BMCRE II doubted the type existed without mint mark, which indicates how rare it is. Struck on a small flan in high relief.

It's a great feeling to hold this coin in hand at last.

 

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Congratulations on adding this long awaited coin to your collection.

 

Screw "white whale", this is a plaid whale!!

Congrats on the coin. It's pretty cool all around.

 

Gosh, congrats on scoring something you've been watching so long!

 

Congrats David, it looks like you've snagged a real beauty with this coin. It is in top condition as well, I personally have looked at a lot of Flavian coins and can't recall ever seeing this type, my guess very rare especially seeing it was minted at a province at the start of his reign, I can see why you are so happy.

 

That's a beautiful coin! Congrats on adding it to your collection.

 

Congratulations on a long but worthwhile wait!

 

congrats. I know that feeling. so satisfying

 

Very cool, David, congratulations!

 

Wow-- great story! Congratulations, David

 

Freaking cool addition! congrats

 

Great acquisition David. It must be very nice to finally have it after waiting so long. So exactly when are you going to write that book on Flavian rarities based on your collection?

 

How satisfying to have finally acquired that dream coin! Nicely toned, centered, and in a pretty good grade, too! A real museum piece, given its history.

 

That's a beauty David, crude style or not. Congrats for finally pulling the old proverbial trigger.

 

Congratulations after all those years. For comparison for those not specializing in these, this is the more common version with mintmark under the reverse bust.

 

Congratulations on a fantastic find! From the very first that you saw it, you probably felt it was yours. Why did you wait, even after following it for so many years?

 

Congratulations, what a great story. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside

 

way to play the long game david!

 

That's neat when that happens. Great story and coin. Congrats.

 

You can put me down for a preorder! What a great catch after so long, congrats!