We all find different coins attractive and interesting, and I have generally favored Roman Republican coins and coins of the 2nd to 1st century BC (especially for interactions with the Roman republic). That said, I easily wander from my primary interests, sometimes a coin stands out (quality, imagery, price...), especially after failing to acquire any primary targets in an auction. So I also have a few coins that have been impulsively gathered, and my coin for today fits that category. The reverse especially struck me as unusual and appealing, bringing to mind more modern coins showing trees e.g. the US quarter of the State of Connecticut with its Charter Oak, hiding place for the state's constitution (US Mint photo - not my coin): or this 1652 Pine Tree Shilling from the State of Massachusetts (ACSearch photo - not my coin): My coin of interest today is described in RIC (2nd edition) as "archaising" - consciously imitating a very old or old-fashioned style. For Vespasian this coin imitates similar coins from Augustus, especially this one RIC 51 (ACSearch - not my coin): Laurel trees were associated with Julius Caesar, with Victory, with Apollo and the trees in front of Augustus' residence were recognizable symbols of the power and the era of concord achieved under Augustus: "Now Caesar [Augustus] had received many privileges and honours even previously, when the question of declining the sovereignty and that of apportioning the provinces were under discussion. For the right to place the laurel trees in front of the royal residence and to hang the crown of oak above them was then voted him to symbolise that he was always victor over his enemies and the saviour of the citizens." -Cassius Dio, LIII 16.4 There is a 1973 book on the subject from Andreas Afoldi that unfortunately is not available in electronic form, Die zwei Lorbeerbäume des Augustus. Vespasian alludes to Augustus with this coin: Roman Imperial, Vespasian, AD 69-79, AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck AD 74 Obv: IMP CAESAR VESP AVG, laureate head right Rev: COS V across field between two laurel trees Ref: RIC II 681 The weathered look of the obverse portrait on this coin brings to mind the coarse description from Seutonius (Seutonius, born approximately in the year that Vespasian became emperor, was clearly not the most reverent or respectful of biographers): "He was well built, with strong, sturdy limbs, and the expression of one who was straining. Apropos of which a witty fellow, when Vespasian asked him to make a joke on him also, replied rather cleverly: "I will, when you have finished relieving yourself." - Seutonius, Life of Vespasian 20.1 Pleased with my impulsive bid, when I looked it up in RIC, I also learned that this coin is considered Rare in RIC. Additional information, corrections, and references are always appreciated - especially knowing that CT has several expert Flavian collectors. Post your archaising coins of any emperor, coins with trees, coins of Vespasian or anything else you find interesting or entertaining. References: Text of Cassius Dio on LacusCurtius, Loeb Classical Library, 9 volumes, Greek texts and facing English translation: Harvard University Press, 1914 thru 1927. Translation by Earnest Cary. Fullerton, M. (1985). The Domus Augusti in Imperial Iconography of 13-12 B. C. American Journal of Archaeology, 89(3), 473-483. Kellum, B. (1994). The Construction of Landscape in Augustan Rome: The Garden Room at the Villa ad Gallinas. The Art Bulletin, 76(2), 211-224. C. Suetonius Tranquillus, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, The Life of Vespasian, Loeb Classical Library, 1914
I've noticed that most denarii of this type have a similar flan shape. My example matches your flan. Vespasian AR Denarius, 2.87g Rome Mint, 74 AD Obv: IMP CAESAR VESP AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: COS V across field; Laurel trees, two, upright RIC 681 (R). BMC 133. RSC 110. BNC 108. Acquired from Beast Coins, July 2005. BTW, I see nothing wrong with your attribution. Very nice write-up too!
@Orfew and @David Atherton thanks for sharing your coins of this type - it is curious that the flans are all somewhat trapezoidal - this mint sloppiness seems odd to me in contrast with the thoughtful recall by the mint of types from ~100 years earlier. Related: Buttrey, T.V. (1972). Vespasian as Moneyer. The Numismatic Chronicle (1966-), 12, 89-109. Buttrey discusses the imitative types across Vespasian's reign and challenging an earlier argument of Laffranchi on these coins and the civil war between Antony and Octavian. Plates 12 & 13 show side by side the related coins he refers us to the Laffranchi article for coins not shown. The Laffranchi article: Lodovico Laffranchi, 'Un centenario numismatico nell'antichità', RIN 1911, 427-436 with Plate VIII showing side-by-side the coins of Augustus and Vespasian. The Vespasian coin again displaying a somewhat trapezoidal flan shape. Laffranchi describes (my translation): At that time coins were the official journal that brought news of all political, economic and military events of the day. Not only that, but even many years after an important historical event, it was also the coins that recalled, daily, the memory of past events to the eyes of the people.
Vespasian benefitted by reminding people that he was a good man for the job of restoring the good old days of Roman glory like Roman grandpa's related in tales of life before Nero. I wonder if those Roman grandpa's bored kids with stories about the day when Caligula was killed as I do? (Who wants to hear what I was doing the day President Kennedy was shot? ---- I didn't think so.) My favorite reminder of days past is the replica denarius of Antony legionary style issued by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus 200 years after Actium. That year, the emperors could point to how much better off folks were because they had had series of 'good' emperors leading up to the current day. No grandpa was alive that remembered that time but stories remained.
My favourite portrait of Vespasian Vespasian denarius , Rome mint c72-73 AD AVGVR-TRI POT with priestly implements
Although it is available online, Lodovico Laffranchi's article on this period is much nicer as an yellowed, somewhat fragile, set of pages ("Estratto dal Fascicolo IV") from 1911. I think this photo with the Laffranchi plate page, also shows the reverse of the coin in a better light than the OP photo. "La moneta era in quell'epoca il manifesto uffi-ciale che recava notizia di tutti gli avvenimenti, politici, economici e militari del momento, non solo, ma anche a molti anni da un avvenimento storico importante, era ancora la moneta che lo rievocava quotidianamente a gli occhi del popolo, il quale si abituava perciò a considerare la memoria del fatto e la moneta come un corpo solo inscindibile." -Laffranchi, L. (1911). "Un Centenario Numismatico nell'antichitá", Revista Italiana di Numismatica, Milano. The coin was at that time the official journal that carried news of all the political, economic and military events of the moment, not only, but also many years after an important historical event, it was still the coin that recalled it daily to the eyes of the people, who therefore got used to considering the memory of the event and the coin as a single inseparable body.
Terrific coin and write up @Sulla80 . Vespasian seems to have alluded to Augustus through his coinage more than once. I also remember looking at denarii of Vespasian with a Capricorn on the reverse (not the divus issues), like those of Augustus. From my understanding, the Capricorn was very personal to Augustus, as it was the sign under which he was conceived.
...Wow. I was born Capricorn. Effectively meaning, it was a hot summer. After my birth, some people gave my folks their first tv. When they showed up with it, they said to my mom, 'We thought you needed something else to do.' My mom's response (as self-reported, years later, and only between her own ears) probably doesn't bear repeating.
