A few years ago I compiled a want list of Flavian denarii I needed for my collection, most of which are super rare and hard to come by in trade. Today, I can happily say I can cross one of them off that list! Vespasian AR Denarius, 2.68g Rome Mint, 74 AD Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: OB CIVES SERVATOS around oak wreath RIC 700 (R2). BMC p. 7 †. RSC 275. BNC -. Ex Private Collection. A very rare variant of the oak wreath type struck for Vespasian in 74. The much more common variants have SPQR within the oak wreath. Alternately, here we have the legend OB CIVES SERVATOS around the wreath. This variant is so rare Mattingly citing Cohen in BMCRE stated in a footnote that this type needed verification. On this specimen OB CIVES is above the wreath; SERVATOS below. The RIC plate coin is similarly worn state. The corona civica was originally a military honour bestowed upon a Roman who had saved a fellow citizen's life in battle. It was one of the greatest public honours. In the imperial era the honour developed from a coveted military decoration into an imperial emblem granted by the Senate to the emperor. The wreath was made of oak leaves and is sometimes called a corona quercea after the common name for the oak. The Wreath was awarded to Vespasian by the Senate for rescuing the Roman people from civil war and bringing about peace. Granted, this coin may not be much to look at, but personally I'm overjoyed to have acquired it! I never thought I'd see one in hand in my lifetime! Please post your worn beloved coins.
Great addition @David Atherton . This worn but loved coin is the only coin in my collection that was in my wedding. England, Tudor Dynasty Elizabeth I (1558-1603) AR Sixpence, London mint, Struck 1575 Dia.: 26 mm Wt.: 2.92 Obv.: ELIZABETH D G ANF FR ET HI REGINA: Crowned bust left Rev.: POSVI DEV ADIVTOREM MEV: long cross over arms with date above Ref.: Seaby 2563 I am also partial to this worn Trajan silver. Roman Empire Trajan (AD 98-117) AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 110 Dia.: 18 mm Wt.: 3.46 g Obv.: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P; Laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder Rev.: COS V P P SPQR OPTIMP PRINC; Roma standing left, holding Victory and spear. Ref.: RIC II 115 var.; Woytek 287b
It's a very comfortable-looking coin . My pocket piece (well, purse piece): EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius year 17, CE 153/4 AE drachm Obv: [AVTKTAIΛAΔPANTωNINOCCEBEVC]; laureate bust right Rev: eagle standing facing, head left (wreath in beak?); L IZ Ref: Emmett 1496(17), R1; Dattari 3094 Another comfy bronze: SYRIA, Laodicea ad Mare. Septimius Severus & Julia Domna CE 193-211 Æ, 31 mm 18.8 gm Obv: jugate draped busts right of Septimius Severus, radiate and cuirassed and Julia Domna, set on crescent; countermarks: 1) C(AΓ) within rectangular incuse; 2) COL within rectangular incuse Rev: Marsyas standing left, right hand raised, holding wineskin over his left shoulder Ref: SNG Righetti 2114; Howgego 581 and 586 Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection ...and oodles more worn bronzes.
Congrats, @David Atherton ! What a great feeling to find that special coin. It does not matter being worn, what matters is that it was found! This one is special for me. Such an odd, and rare coin to find. Took me a while, but I finally snared it. Five-Twelves of an As...from the Roman Republic, prior to the Denarius Reform in 211 BCE. RR Anon AE 23 Quincunx 6.96g Apollo P behind Dioscuri Luceria 5 pellets Cr 99-4 Syd 309 Sear 910. Minted during the 2nd Punic War, 218-204 BCE.
Congrats on the long coveted score, David. I love the phrase "worn but welcomed"... I have plenty of those, but these four spring to mind. ROMAN REPUBLIC AR Denarius. 3.72g, 17.6mm. Rome mint, 61 BC, C. Piso L.f. Frugi, moneyer. RBW 1481 (same dies); Babelon Calpurnia 29; Sydenham 876; C. Hersh, NC 1976, 439; Crawford 408/1b. O: Diademed and draped bust of Apollo left, caduceus over shoulder. R: Horseman, holding reins, on horse galloping right; ↓ (L, resembling an arrowhead, for 50) above; C PISO LF FRVG below. Notes: Extremely Rare. Ex Eucharius Collection ROMAN IMPERATORS. Sextus Pompey AR Denarius. 3.35g, 18.6mm. Sicilian mint, circa 42-40 BC. Crawford 511/3a; RSC 17. O: MAG PIVS IMP ITER, head of Pompey the Great between jug (capis) left [and lituus right]. R: PRAEF CLAS ET ORAE / MARIT EX S C, Neptune, nude but for chlamys in the back, standing left, right foot set on prow of ship; he holds aplustre in his outstretched right hand; Anapias and Amphinomus (the Catanaean brothers) flanking him, bearing their parents on their shoulders. ELIS, Olympia AR Hemidrachm (Holed). 2.33g, 16mm. ELIS, Olympia, 97th-100th Olympiad, 392-380 BC. Obverse die signed by Polykaon. BCD Olympia 95; HGC 5, 433 (R2); Seltman, Temple pl. VIII, 20. O: Head and neck of eagle right; ΠO below beak. R: F-A, Thunderbolt, with volutes above and wings below, within wreath. VESPASIAN AR Denarius. 3.05g, 18.4mm. Rome mint, 21 October 69 - early 70. RIC 2; Cohen 226; BMC 35; Hendin 1479. O: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right. R: Judaea seated right on ground in attitude of mourning, trophy set on shields behind her; IVDAEA in exergue. Ex Prof. Dr. Hildebrecht Hommel Collection, with tag noting acquisition date 15 Feb 1943
Congratulations on this new acquisition! I can see why you like it so much. In all my collection areas, I have a significant share of worn but beloved coins. Some were too expensive for me in higher grade, while others, especially the medieval ones, just don't come in pristine condition. Honest wear really doesn't constitute much of a problem in my eyes, and in some cases, I even find it atractive. Phokis, Federal Coinage, triobol, ca. 490–485 BC. Obv: frontal bull's head. Rev: head of Artemis r. set diagonally in incuse square, Φ-O[-K-I] around. 13mm, 2.63g. Ref: see BCD Lokris–Phokis 189; see Williams 1972, no. 17. Attica, Athens, AR triobol or hemidrachm, ca. 390–295 BC. Obv: head of Athena with Attic helmet r. Rev: Owl standing facing between olive twigs, retrograde ethnic [A]ΘE around. 12.5mm, 2.06g. Ref: SNG Munich 206–7. Roman Republic, moneyer: C. Norbanus, AR denarius, 83 BC, Rome mint. Obv: C. NORBANVS; head of Venus, diademed, r.; to l., control number LXXIII; banker’s mark: cornucopia? Rev: ear of wheat, fasces, and caduceus. 19mm, 3.53g. Ref: RRC 357/1b. Ex Bing collection. Adalbert III of Bohemia, Prince–Archbishopric of Salzburg, Friesach pfennig, ca. 1170–1200 AD, Friesach mint. Obv: E[R]IAC[EN]SIS (retrograde), bishop standing facing, holding crosier and book. Rev: church building with two towers, cross above pediment, four ringlets (windows?) below. 19mm, 0.97g. Ref: CNA, Ca9. Margraviate of Brandenburg, under House Wittelsbach, Otto V, denar, ca. 1365–1373, uncertain mint. Obv: margrave standing facing, holding two crossbows. Rev: ornamented triangle with trefoils and pellets. 16mm, 0.69g. Ref: Bahrfeldt 692; Dannenberg 252.
An interesting postscript: Curiously, in the RIC concordance with the first edition, this type is listed as old RIC 17 'Unverified: plated hybrid?' (again citing Cohen) without a new corresponding RIC number even though it is in the catalogue as RIC 700 with no such disclaimers. My example has evidence of being plated and is a double die match with the RIC plate coin. It is likely all specimens of the type are plated and therefore not official issue.
