I Come in Pax

A specialist collector does not just check off catalogue numbers - he or she gets into the nooks and crannies of those numbers.

Here is one of those nooks, or indeed crannies, of a very common Vespasian denarius type.


Vespasian
AR Denarius, 3.28g
Rome Mint, January - June 70 AD
RIC 29 (C3). BMC 26. RSC 94h.
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: COS ITER TR POT; Pax, draped, seated l., holding branch extended in r. hand and winged caduceus in l.
Acquired from Aegean Numismatics, August 2018.

This seated Pax is by far the most common type of the 'COS ITER' issue. It may even have been struck well after June 70, evidenced by the vast quantities that have survived and the classic Vespasianic portrait many of them display (Vespasian arrived in Rome c. October 70). COS ITER in the reverse legend is sometimes unusually spaced dependent on where Pax's branch is positioned - here the break occurs between the 'T' and 'E'. Most examples do not have such a break.

The seated Pax was struck in such vast numbers so early in Vespasian's reign as a propaganda type to help heal the many wounds after a devastating Civil War and the rebellions in Batavia and Judaea. The restoration of the Roman World was a major theme of the fledgling Flavian dynasty. The coinage announced 'all would be well'.

My other example of the type, notice the nice shock of hair on Vespasian. Evidently the engraver did not have a life-like bust of Vespasian to go by. There is no break in COS ITER either.


Vespasian
AR Denarius, 3.39g
Rome Mint, January - June 70 AD
RIC 29 (C3). BMC 26. RSC 94h.
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: COS ITER TR POT; Pax, draped, seated l., holding branch extended in r. hand and winged caduceus in l.
Acquired from Hail Cesare, eBay, August 2004.

Feel free to post any coins from a nook or cranny.

 

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Here's a PAX coin with an unusual reverse legend. The usual form of the legend is the genitive singular, PAX EXERCITI, but this one lacks the final I. It is a reverse inscription that I have not seen mentioned in any of the major resources, such as RIC, Cohen, or Sear. So there's my nook and cranny vis a vis a PAX coin. It may be due to a filled die, of course, but it may be an engraver's error, too.

 

Thanks for the interesting writeup @David Atherton

Here is one...



Though I refer to this as RIC 1312, there is some question on this. It all hinges on the portrait. There is a lot of variation in the Rome portraits of Vespasian on this issue. Is it different enough to be not from the Rome mint? Maybe. If it is from Tarraco this makes it it a very rare coin. If it is from Rome it is another RIC 29, a very common coin. What makes this interesting is that it appears to be a die match to the RIC plate coin tentatively identified as RIC 1312.



Vespasianus, 69-79.Denarius Minted 69/70, Tarraco (Tarragona).

3.41 g.

Obv: Bust Laureate right, IMP CAESAR VESPASIANUS AVG

Rev; Pax Seated with branch and Caduceus., COS ITER TR POT

RIC II/1, 1312 (R3)

Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. E-Auctions 6 Lot 259. January 13, 2018.

 

That's an interesting bit of minutiae, David. I had a look at the RIC 29 in my collection and it seems to have the same legend break as yours. I see others on acsearch where the break occurs between E and R. The portrait also has more hair than is usual for Vespasian.

 

Nice addition to your set.

 

Nice one David, I have an example of a Galba Ae As, Ceres where the grain ear and poppy split Cer es in different places.
a coin from CNG archives and below that mine.

 

Opinion: Unless you are doing a die study seeking every die, grouping of coins by minutia should attempt to include a reason for that difference and not just deciding that letter spacings are important while other attributes are not so much. When we see some evidence that there was intent making the difference beyond 'I ran out of room', we need to record variations.

In my area, the obvious example is whether Septimius Severus legionary standards included small capricorns or not. The common LEG XIIII GEMMV comes both with and without but we do not know why. Collectors of these are more likely to note this difference than where the legend breaks inside the number XIIII. Noting minutia is a lot easier than figuring out why they exist.
with capricorns

no capricorns

 

Dang I thought you all were talking about the 1990 Dolph Lundgren hit I Come in Peace.

 

If it's any consolation, my RIC 1312 is not on solid ground either. Given to me by Harry Sneh and examined by Ian Carradice, both thought it possibly Spanish. Me? I am on the fence. I hold out hope that someday we both may have better answers.

 

I agree with most of what you say. I don't think there is any meaning or importance in the legend break (or indeed most legend breaks) - the die engraver simply 'ran out of room'. Not a variant, but I thought different enough to note. What actually interested me about the OP coin was the portrait. The fact it has classic Vespasianic features is of some importance - it lends weight to the idea that these COS ITER Pax denarii were struck after Vespasian's arrival in Rome when presumably a proper portrait bust (or painting?) could be provided to the die engravers at the mint.

 

Thanks for the interesting post, David! If I had to pick the Roman Emperor who interests me the most it would have to be Vespasian. I have two of these but on the other one his name is incomplete and runs off the top.

Graphic edited: 6:56 PM EST 8/16/18​

 

Old coins are never be the same thats on me!!!!!!!! no fabric making/ in my country whe have one coins making fabric/ in that time hundreds making a coin/ makes all a difference

 

The seated Pax was struck in such vast numbers so early in Vespasian's reign as a propaganda type to help heal the many wounds after a devastating Civil War and the rebellions in Batavia and Judaea. The restoration of the Roman World was a major theme of the fledgling Flavian dynasty. The coinage announced 'all would be well'.

do you have books whe it stand it/ are it say in books historic

 

where do you get that information

 

RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 29

objects: 68
Datum
AD 70
Denominatie
Denarius
Muntplaats
Rome
Voorzijde
IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG: Head of Vespasian, laureate, right
Keerzijde
COS ITER TR POT: Pax, draped. seated left, holding branch in extended right hand and winged caduceus in le
http://numismatics.org/ocre/results?q=vespasian pax

 

where do get the information'

This seated Pax is by far the most common type of the 'COS ITER' issue. It may even have been struck well after June 70, evidenced by the vast quantities that have survived and the classic Vespasianic portrait many of them display (Vespasian arrived in Rome c. October 70). COS ITER in the reverse legend is sometimes unusually spaced dependent on where Pax's branch is positioned - here the break occurs between the 'T' and 'E'. Most examples do not have such a break.

The seated Pax was struck in such vast numbers so early in Vespasian's reign as a propaganda type to help heal the many wounds after a devastating Civil War and the rebellions in Batavia and Judaea. The restoration of the Roman World was a major theme of the fledgling Flavian dynasty. The coinage announced 'all would be well'.

My other example of the type, notice the nice shock of hair on Vespasian. Evidently the engraver did not have a life-like bust of Vespasian to go by. There is no break in COS ITER either.

 

last the time people like more perfect types no wear nothing on it rare make sense in very good condition they pay more/ thats makes the price

 

You won't get an argument out of me!

That Pax type was actually struck in 75 (COS VI) and likely commemorates the opening of Vespasian's Temple of Peace.

 

where do you get in the information!'