Just bought this one from Forum. this coin is all about the portrait. the speculation is that since this coin was minted before Vespasian returned from Judea to Rome to assume the rule of Rome, the engravers were working off of verbal descriptions of him. They therefore made modifications to portraits of Vitellius. I know it is an ugly coin, but I could not ignore that portrait of Vitellius on a coin of Vespasian. I am fascinated by these transitional pieces. There are also examples where the portrait on some coins of Vitellius look suspiciously like the former ruler Otho. I would love to have one of the these as well. Feel fee to post your coins of Vitellius or Vespasian. Silver denarius, RIC II-119;RSC II84;BMCRE II7;BnF III7;Cohen I84 (2f.);SRCV I-, aF, unusual portrait (resemblingVitellius?), bumps and scratches, uneven patina, Rome mint, weight 2.971g, maximum diameter 18.5mm, die axis180o, c. Jan - Jun 70 A.D.; Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right; Rev: COS ITER FORT RED, Fortuna standing left, resting right hand on a crostolium of galley left at feet on left, cornucopia in left hand; very rare Forum Ancient Coins January 27, 2018
Nice catch for an 'ugly coin' I have the same 'first-year' type of Vespasian that wishes him a safe return from the East by ship (hence the prow). I bought the coin mainly because of the strong resemblance with Vitellius. The bust looks very youthful, compared to the 59 year old emperor. Apparently the engravers had really no idea how Vespasian looked like.... Vespasian, denarius. Rome mint, 69 - 70 AD. RIC 19, RSC 84. 18mm, 3.1g. Obv. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right. Rev. COS ITER FORT RED, Fortuna standing left holding rudder on prow & cornucopia.
As someone with prosopagnosia, I find it very hard to distinguish Vitellius and Vespasian. I just take your word that they are transitional types, and as such I find they very interesting.
These are 3 coins of the same emperor (Vespasian) and each one has a different portrait type. The bottom one and all his Judaean silver I believe were struck @ AD69 and would be before he entered Rome. The top coin, the DIVVS den. is his most notable portrait and probably most accurate. I believe it was either his son Titus or a close friend who told Vespasian that he looked like he was in a state of perpetual constipation. I have seen coins of Trajan that closely resemle Nerva, but I don't have any to post.
Suetonius wrote in “the 12 Caesars” : ‘he had the figure of a man who has made vigorous efforts.’ Anyway his superb scowl made him famous!
Cool very rare capture Andrew! As you requested, I have a Vitellius... and its UGLY... RI Vitellius 69 CE AR Denarius Pont Max Vesta Seated
Very neat new pickup, Orfew. I don't like using the term "ugly", but I guess sometimes the plug fits the hole... VITELLIUS AR Denarius. 3.05g, 17.3mm. Uncertain Spanish mint (Tarraco?), AD 69. RIC 30 (R3). O: A VITELLIVS IMP GERMAN, laureate head right, globe at point of neck. R: [FIDES EXERCITVVM], two clasped right hands. Notes: Very Rare. Holed, plugged and polished. From the same dies as the example in the Münzkabinett Berlin.
If some one is old enough to remember this coin then I would love to own it. However, no authentication. Is it real or fake? I hope you didn't pay a lot for them because of the fakes out there. The General
I don't understand. Which coin? The one shown in the first post? It was posted yesterday and it probably hasn't even left the seller's storeroom yet. Anyone who has been interested in or collecting ancient coins for more than a few minutes is generally well aware, sometimes painfully aware, that fakes exist. There aren't many occasions in which third party authentication is necessary if you take time study fakes and authentic coins. Alternatively, "know the coin or know the seller", and buy from sellers who have decades of experience and who offer money-back guarantees of authenticity. In the uncommon circumstance of needing third party authentication, there aren't any third party examiners who guarantee authenticity although of course if the examiner is highly experienced and reputable, their opinion is valuable. In the case of the coin shown in the first post, it was purchased from one of the most reputable ancient coin sellers around and the seller offers a guarantee of authenticity.
