A Special Coin for a Specialist

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by David Atherton, Nov 1, 2021.

  1. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    I am a specialist in Flavian coins generally, but systematically collect the silver issues - especially those of Titus. I've almost completed that task, so it is quite thrilling to add one of the few coins I'm missing! Although it may not be much to look at, this worn and harshly cleaned piece is a minor gem, IMHO.


    V871.jpg
    Titus as Caesar [Vespasian]
    AR Denarius, 2.77g
    Rome mint, 76 AD
    Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIANVS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l.
    Rev: COS V across field; Eagle head r. standing on thunderbolt, on Altar. Very uncommon with thunderbolt showing.
    RIC 871 (R3). BMC -. RSC -. BNC -.
    Ex Short Collection. Acquired from eBay 2021.

    The common eagle and altar type was struck for both Vespasian and Titus Caesar. Here is a very rare variant with the eagle facing right combined with an obverse portrait facing left. Unique at the time of the new RIC's publication, two other specimens have surfaced in the intervening 14 years: Gorny and Mosch 253, lot 525 and the present coin. All three specimens are obverse and reverse die matches.

    NB: The reverse is also a die match with the scarce obverse portrait right variant.

    V870.jpg Titus as Caesar [Vespasian]
    AR Denarius, 3.29g
    Rome mint, 76 AD
    Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIANVS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
    Rev: COS V across field; Eagle head r. standing on thunderbolt, on Altar. Very uncommon with thunderbolt showing.
    RIC 870 (R2). BMC -. RSC -. BNC -.
    Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection.


    Please post your own worn White Whales!
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2021
    TIF, Jay GT4, Carl Wilmont and 13 others like this.
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  3. Marsman

    Marsman Well-Known Member

    You have almost completed that task? Wow :woot:
    Is there any chance you fully complete that mission or are there silver Flavian coins left that you will never be able to purchase ?

    I have no Titus eagle.
    My aggressive Vespasian eagle :)

    7606F171-6FD4-4D69-8F83-91902DD05394.png

    Rome mint, struck 76 AD.
    RIC II 847, RSC 121.
    19 mm, 3.38 g
    Obv. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right
    Rev. COS VII across field, eagle with (long) wings spread, standing front on cippus decorated with garland, head turned left.

    The eagle (aquila) was the symbol of the mighty Roman Empire and his emperors as well as a mythological symbol representing the Roman god Jupiter and the Greek god Zeus.
    There is another type with the eagle facing right. Some say the eagle facing left is looking back at all the glorious achievement of the emperor from the past while facing right means looking at the future, the emperor's promises.
     
    Carl Wilmont, Factor, PeteB and 8 others like this.
  4. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    If you add them all up, how many silver Flavian coins are there? And are you just collecting Imperial silver, or Provincial as well, to the extent it existed?
     
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  5. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    To be honest, I've never added them all up for a final count. I just work off of 'want lists' for each ruler. Systematically I collect both imperial and provincial silver issues ... Titus is the closest of the three to being complete. I'm at 90% or so completion for both imperial and provincial silver for him.

    And @Marsman, I'll never finish the task. There are coins that will be impossible to acquire because of rarity, cost, or both. The goal is to have a somewhat comprehensive collection. At any rate, most of the fun is in the hunt!
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2021
  6. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    How do you call so many white whales together in the same place : a herd, a flock, a horde ?
    Great pick up !

    Q
     
  7. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Here's my right-facing Titus. I have no idea as to its rarity. I suspect it's really common.

    [​IMG]
    Titus as Caesar, AD 69-79.
    Roman AR Denarius, 3.27 g, 18.5 mm, 6 h.
    Rome, AD 76.
    Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIAN, laureate head right.
    Rev: COS V, Eagle standing front on garlanded altar, thunderbolt in claws, wings open, head left.
    Refs: RIC.191a; RIC2.861; BMCRE 191; CBN 166; RSC.59a; RCV 2438.

    But you asked for a worn white whale. This one is rated R3 by Temeryazev & Makarenko and I figured I'd never see one. What makes it so rare is that the reverse inscription reads AVGVSTI instead of AVG. Yeah, it's flyspecking. But I like flyspecking.

    Sure, it's got a gnarly flan crack, but known specimens are limited to the two in the British Museum collection, a specimen in the ANS collection (ANS 1956.127.574), and one in a private Ukrainian collection (CRE 130). This coin is a double die-match to BMCRE 323 and to the ANS specimen.

    [​IMG]
    Faustina I, AD 138-140.
    Roman AR denarius, 3.17 g, 17.4 mm, 7 h.
    Rome, AD 143.
    Obv: DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
    Rev: PIETAS AVGVSTI, hexastyle temple on stepped podium, above, a quadriga, Victories as acroteria.
    Refs: RIC –; BMCRE 322-323; Cohen –; RSC 253b; Strack –; RCV –;CRE 130.
     
  8. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Frequency rating is indeed 'common', but just so, IMHO.

    Love it! Although, I'm unfamiliar with the reference 'CRE'.
     
  9. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    CRE is Coins of the Roman Empresses by Temeryazev and Makarenko.
     
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  10. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    As your title suggests, the specialized fields are more conducting to discovering white whales, Dombes is of course no exception

    The reference book for them (aka Divo) has only one recorded example of the 1600 douzain, minted for Henri II de Montpensier

    Here are two other specimens (from my collection). I've not been able to locate other ones so far, yet a few certainly exist. You wanted worn, here they are !!

    D-023-104-2-c.jpg

    D-023-104-1-c.jpg Atelier de Trevoux
    + HENRIC . P . DOMBAR . D . MONTISP . M, Ecu de Bourbon couronné, cantonné de deux H
    + DNS . ADIVT : ET . REDEM . MEVS . 1600, Croix echancrée cantonnée de couronnes
    2.22 gr
    Ref : Divo Dombes # 104, Boudeau # 1070, Mantellier # 40v

    Q
     
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