I got this coin rather cheap on eBay last month, just a little under $40. However, I recognised it was not just another worn and dirt common Vespasian as. Vespasian Æ As, 7.20g Rome mint, 76 AD Obv: IMP CAESAR VESP AVG COS VII; Head of Vespasian, laureate, l. Rev: S C in field; Spes stg. l., holding flower RIC 895 (R). BMC -. BNC -. Acquired from eBay, February 2021. An extremely rare left facing portrait variant of the common COS VII Spes struck in 76. The right facing variant of this COS VII Spes is considered by RIC (p. 51) to be the single most common bronze coin struck for Vespasian. The left facing portrait is another story! RIC cites only Berlin for the left facing variant, although the catalogue's authors Carradice and Buttrey must have known of a few other specimens in order to assign it a frequency rating of just 'rare'. Perhaps the rarity is a bit underrated. I could not locate any other specimens online either in trade or in a major collection. A truly scarce coin! I love these overlooked gems. It's like digging for gold. Please post your overlooked and/or unassuming rarities.
Just another common Trajan she-wolf Quadrans. Picked in an auction last year as I wanted a Trajan coin with decent portrait. Searched for it to see other examples, but couldn't find a match with the same legend IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P I was told this is quite rare, this being the 4th known specimen. For me it was beginner's luck, why should I lie.
It is always fun to find an overlooked gem. Happy to see this rarity find its way to your collection. I will share this Vespasian that finally made it through the mail system after a couple of months and dates to the early days of the reign of Vespasian. This regnal year 2 issue from Alexandria appealed to me for both the portrait and the date of issue. This coin dates to the year that starts at the end of August in the year of four emperors. The reverse celebrates Roman victory and peace in the war with Judea - although the war continued under Titus. Although he was declared emperor in July by his troops, Vespasian was formally proclaimed emperor by the Senate while he was in Egypt on 21 December 69. Egypt, Alexandria, Vespasian, AD 69-79, BI Tetradrachm, dated RY 2 (AD 69/70). Obv: AΥTOK KAIΣ ΣEB AOΥEΣΠAΣIANOΥ/ ΛB (Aυτοκρατορ Kαισαρ Σεβαστοσ Aουεσπασιανου), laureate head right; L B (date) below chin Rev: EI-ΡH-NH (ειρηνη), Eirene standing left, holding branch and caduceus. It pairs well with this coin from one of his defeated rivals, Galba, from a year earlier (regnal year 1). Eleutheria is the equivalent of Libertas - the personification of liberty. Egypt, Alexandria, Galba, AD 68-69, BI Tetradrachm, dated RY 1 (8 June to 29 August AD 68) Obv: [ΣΕΡΟΥΙ ΓΑΛΒΑ ΑΥΤΟΚ ΚΑ]ΙΣ ΣΕΒΑ, Laureate head right; L A (date) below chin Rev: ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙA, Eleutheria standing left, resting elbow on column, holding wreath and scepter Note: more coins from this period in Galba : First of Four Emperors in 69 AD
Great pick-up, @David Atherton! I love hearing about "overlooked gems"! This one certainly looks unassuming and common. You might even say, "I'll pass on it because its surfaces are rough and the portrait is pitted." Faustina Senior, AD 138-141. Roman orichalcum dupondius, 16.19 g, 26.1 mm, 10 h. Rome, AD 140-141. Obv: DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: CONSECRATIO S C, Funeral pyre in three stories, set on base, ornamented and garlanded, surmounted by Faustina in biga right. Refs: RIC 1189; BMCRE p. 236 *; Cohen 187; RCV --; Strack 1238. The type might look familiar to you. You might even think you've seen it at a recent auction. But you're thinking of the sestertius version of the coin and this is a dupondius. And if you think another one will appear on the market soon, you'd be mistaken. This coin is very rare in the middle bronze denomination. The British Museum does not have an example and it is not to be found at Wildwinds, OCRE, The Coin Project, coinscatalog.com, in the CNG archives or on a search at acsearchinfo. RIC lists it, citing Cohen. After an exhaustive internet search, it appears the last time one appeared at auction was Münzhandlung Basel (Auction 1), June 28, 1934, pl. 29, 1171. Here's the photo (of a plaster cast) in the auction catalog: It is a reverse die-match to my coin. So, that makes four known examples of the coin: 1. Paris specimen cited by Cohen and Strack. 2. Naples specimen cited by Strack. 3. Münzhandlung Basel specimen. 4. My specimen (incorrectly described as a sestertius by the auction firm).
Well, that's because you're looking at a photo and not the coin in hand. Plus, COS VI is totally unattested for this type with portrait left. Trust me, I would love for it to be COS VI, but I call them as I see them.
Well done and big congrats, @David Atherton ! Some of the greatest rewards come from unassuming and unexpected sources. Namaste.
