Temple of Vespasian, Stefano della Bella 1656 (public domain) Although I only have a few coins of Vespasian, I find transitional portraits interesting and was pleased to see this one show up in the mail yesterday: an AR Vespasian denarius. RIC II lists the date as January to June (and later?) of AD 70. From the portrait it is no surprise that this is an early issue, it looks a lot like Vitellius to me. I imagine that the die maker was still mastering Vitellius when Vespasian had Vitellius executed on 22-Dec-69, and thought to himself, "Emperors change too often around here, I was just getting good at the last guy". AD 69 was the Year of the Four Emperors - here's a simple timeline: COS ITER FORT RED roughly translates to "Consul, Again, Safe Return" - which in light of the chart above, only reflects making it over the 69-70 year boundary, and a second calendar year as emperor. Having quelled the uprising in Judaea that he would tout for many years, Vespasian made it back to Rome by July so these coins, if they did continue to mint after Jun 70, would have been anachronistic. Vespasian, AD 69-79, AR Denarius, Rome mint, AD 70 Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right Rev: COS ITER FORT RED, Fortuna standing left, hand on prow of galley and holding cornucopia Size: 3.13g, 19mm Ref: RIC II 19 Note: these first portraits of Vespasian are still often not recognizably Vespasian, although characteristic features begin to appear Corrections, comments, and additional information are always appreciated. Post your transitional portraits, favorite Vespasians, or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.
My favorite Vespasian on many levels: VESPASIAN Æ Dupondius OBVERSE: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M T P COS V CENS, radiate head left REVERSE: FELICITAS PVBLICA S-C, Felicitas standing facing, head left, holding caduceus & cornucopiae Struck at Rome, 74AD 10.2g, 28mm RIC 716, (RIC [1962] 555), Cohen 152, BMC 698 Ex: J.Q. Adams But others of note: VESPASIAN AR Denarius OBVERSE: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: COS ITER TR POT, Pax seated left, holding branch and caduceus Struck at Rome, 69-71 AD 3.31g, 18mm RIC 29; RSC 94h; Sear 2285 VESPASIAN AR Denarius OBVERSE: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: TR POT X COS VIIII, Ceres seated left, holding grain ears and torch Struck at Rome, 79AD 3.4g, 18mm RIC 1062 VESPASIAN AR Denarius OBVERSE: CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: ANNONA AVG, Annona seated left holding bundle of corn ears in her lap Struck at Rome, 77/8AD 3.1g, 18mm RIC 964 VESPASIAN AR Denarius OBVERSE: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: TR POT X COS VIIII, radiate figure standing on rostral column, holding scepter Struck at Rome, 79AD 2.9g, 18mm Sear 2311. BMC 254. RIC 1065 (RIC [1962] 119) ex Warren Esty
Very cool, definitely looks more like Vitellius to me, great coin. 69-70 must have been a very interesting time at the mints. Here’s my favorite transitional portrait, an early Trajan denarius with a strong resemblance to Nerva. Trajan, AR Denarius. Rome, 98-99 A.D., (17mm, 3.22g), IMP NERVA CAES TRAIAN AVG GERM P M., Laureate head right./ Rev: TR P COS II PP., Pax seated left on throne, holding branch and caduceus. RIC 30.
My favorite transitional portrait is this provincial of Faustina II from Dioshieron. The die-engraver had no idea what the empress looked like, so he gave her a looped ponytail as worn by Agrippina II, Julia Titi, and Plotina: Faustina II, AD 147-175/6. Roman provincial Æ 17.1 mm, 3.04 g, 7 h. Lydia, Dioshieron, Magistrate L. Iouli. Mithres (Grammateus), AD 147-161. Obv: ΦAVCTЄINA CЄBACTH, bare-headed and draped bust right, hair in a top-knot and looped ponytail. Rev: ЄΠI MIΘPOV ΔIOCIЄPЄITΩN, Asklepios standing left, holding serpent-entwined staff. Refs: RPC IV.2, 1236 (temp); BMC 22.76, 12; SNG Cop 116; SNG Turkey 240-41; Waddington 4963. Notes: Double-die match to Paris specimen (BNF) and Ashmolean specimen. My favorite Vespasian portrait is this corpulent and pointy-chinned visage on this posthumous issue: Divus Vespasian, d. AD 79 Roman AR denarius, 2.89 g, 17.8 mm, 6 h. Rome, AD 80. Obv: DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS, head of deified Vespasian, laureate, right. Rev: Two capricorns, back-to-back, supporting shield inscribed S C; below, globe. Refs: RIC 2.1, 357; BMCRE 129-131; Cohen 497; RCV 2569; CBN 101.
@Sulla80 , that is a great coin. I like the idea of transitional portraits, because they probably did not last long, and if they DID mint them too long, I am sure the Emperors staff would had taken stern measures. TRANSITIONAL PORTRAIT OTHO Where's the wig? This is a laureate head, and it just doesn't have that typical Otho look for his hair. This guy was not around too long, so I imagine getting all the busts out to the mints, retooling and changing up the dies, pounding a bunch at full speed, and distribution probably was a "pain" for the Mints everywhere. I am sure the earliest dies were probably guesses... Roman Imperial Egypt, Alexandria. Otho. Jan. - Apr., CE 69. Billon AR Tetradrachm, 23mm, 11.9gms; Year 1; Egypt-Alexandria. Obv.:AVTOK MAΓ OΘΩNOΣ KAIΣ ΣEB; Laureate head right, L A in right field Rev: RΩ-MA; Helmeted, cuirassed bust of Roma right. Emmett 186 Ex: @John Anthony
Vespasian (A.D. 69-79) Billon Tetradrachm of Alexandria, Egypt. 26mm 11.98 grams Obverse: Laureate bust right, LB in front (Year 2, 69-70 A.D.) AYTOK KAIΣ ΣEBA OYVEΣΠAΣIANOY Reverse: Nike Advancing Left, holding wreath and palm branch Reference: RPC 2412, Koln 276, Milne 393, BMCGr 236, Emmet 205.2, Dattari 360
Nice one @Sulla80 ! That one would have attracted my attention as well. Here is my Vitellius looking Vespasian from around the same time as yours. Overall, this type is common but not at all with this spectacular portrait.
My transitional coin..... Vespasian, denarius. Rome mint, 69 - 70 AD. RIC 19, RSC 84. 19 mm, 3.14g. Obv. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right. Rev. COS ITER FORT RED, Fortuna standing left holding rudder on prow & cornucopia. This 'first-year' type of Vespasian wishes him a safe, speedy return from the East, by ship (hence the prow). The bust type on this example is youthful, compared to the 59 year old newly acclaimed Emperor. It is thought that these issues struck before Vespasian's arrival in Rome were often based on portraits of previous emperor Vitellius, or very dated busts/descriptions of Vespasian.
A transitional oddball portrait of Vespasian. Many of these Fortuna reverses have transitional portraits.
Vespasian, denarius. Rome mint, 69 - 70 AD. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head of Vespasian right / COS ITER FORT RED, Fortuna standing facing head left, with right hand on prow left and cornucopia in left. RIC II.I 18.
MAXIMINUS I (235-238), denarius Rome, 235 C 77- RIC 13 IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, Laureate bust right PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing left When the engraver made this obverse die, he did not know yet the "sweet face" of the sympathetic Maximinus.