A Denarius of Otho

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Gam3rBlake, May 12, 2022.

  1. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    I got Vitellius almost a week ago and so I was a bit dumbfounded that my Otho bid also managed to win.


    Otho is a really hard Emperor to get because of how short his reign was.

    He didn’t mint many coins in general.

    I know it’s in pretty poor condition but when it comes to the super rare Emperors beggars can’t be choosers xD.

    I just wanted an example of Otho for my collection and I’m glad this one at least has his name OTHO legible on the coin. Even if it is the only legible writing on it.

    39C49998-4127-4D3D-A655-E485429C941A.jpeg
    809E2E0C-9C1C-443E-A5A3-17BD30587094.jpeg

    Otho (January-April AD 69). AR denarius (20mm, 7h). ANACS Good 6. Rome, 15 January-9 March AD 69. IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, bare, bewigged head of Otho right / VICTORIA-OTHONIS, Victory alighting right, with wreath in right hand, palm branch in left. RIC I 14.
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2022
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  3. 7Calbrey

    7Calbrey Well-Known Member

    Very nice addition. That's one of the much desired coins among the 12 Caesars.
     
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  4. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    Thanks! Yeah I just need Galba now and I’ll have all four Emperors from the Year of the Four Emperors (Galba, Otho, Vitellius and Vespasian).

    Caligula & Claudius will be really hard to get as well so I’ll probably have to settle for low grades of them too.

    I just wanted to get the super hard ones out of the way since I can always upgrade later to better examples.
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2022
  5. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Nice addition. A better reverse type and im surprised it's that heavy.

    [​IMG]
    Otho (69 A.D.)
    Egypt, Alexandria
    Billon Tetradrachm
    O: ΑΥΤΟΚ ΜΑΡΚ ΟΘΩΝΟΣ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒ, laureate head right; L A (date) to right.
    R:ΡΩΜΗ, helmeted and cuirassed bust of Roma right, holding shield and spear.
    13.4g
    23mm
    Dattari (Savio) 330; K&G 18.9; RPC I 5362; Emmett 186.1

    Published on Wildwinds!
    [​IMG]
    Otho (69 A.D.)
    Egypt, Alexandria
    Billon Tetradrachm
    O: AYTOK MAPK OΘΩNOΣ KAIΣ ΣEB, laureate head right, LA (year 1) lower right.
    R: EΛEY-ΘEPIA, Eleutheria (Liberty) standing left, wreath in extended right hand, scepter in left hand, leaning with left elbow on column, simpulum (ladle used for tasting and pouring sacrificial libations) left in lower left field.
    12.58g
    24.4mm
    Milne 359; RPC I 5354 (5 spec.); Dattari 327; BMC Alexandria p. 25, 208; Curtis 238; Kampmann 18.6; Emmett 184

    Ex. Jyrki Muona Collection

    This variety with a simpulum on the reverse is much rarer than the same type without this control symbol. RPC reports only 5 specimens with the simpulum and 17 specimens without it. This variety is missing from the important collections in Cologne, Paris, and Milan, and we know of only one example offered at auction in the past two decades (CNG 76, 12 Sep 2007, lot 3152, VF, $430 plus fees).


    Published on Wildwinds!
     
    singig, octavius, Hrefn and 11 others like this.
  6. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    N

    Nice ones! Oh about the weight that’s actually an error.

    The auction listing made a note that the weight on the label was incorrect but that the coin was authentic.
     
  7. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    So, basically just one of the reasons slabbing ancients sucks, HA! not surprising. Still, nice coin.:cool:
     
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  8. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    Don’t talk about slabs. There are people on the forums (not me) who will get really mad at you for even mentioning the accursed 4 letter word.
     
  9. happy_collector

    happy_collector Well-Known Member

    Nice addition, @Gam3rBlake.
    Another step towards a 12-Caesars collection. :)
     
    Gam3rBlake likes this.
  10. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    Caligula & Claudius scare the heck out of me. xD

    If I don’t finish all 12 Caesar’s Denarii it will be because of one of them I guarantee it. o_O
     
    happy_collector likes this.
  11. The Meat man

    The Meat man Supporter! Supporter

    @Gam3rBlake That's my kind of Otho! Very nice!

    Someday when I've saved enough I'll get one. I was watching an Otho denarius on a recent CNG auction. It was really worn, worse than yours, and holed to boot, so I thought maybe it'd be within my budget. Nope, I think it hammered for $450.
     
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  12. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    In all honestly mine wasn’t much cheaper than that even as worn as it is. :/
     
  13. robinjojo

    robinjojo Well-Known Member

    That's a very nice Otho denarius, @Gam3rBlake!

    My only coin for this emperor is a tetradrachm of Antioch, 69 AD, in pretty much "as found" condition.

    Prieur 101

    14.5 grams

    D-Camera Otho tetradrachm,  Antioch 69AD Prieur 101 14.5 grams Israel 20212-27-21.jpg
     
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  14. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    Congrats on your Otho! :)

    In my experience getting ANY kind of coin of Otho is an achievement due to his short 3 month reign and small quantity of minted coinage.

    I imagine much of it was melted down under Vespasian along with coinage of Galba and Vitellius. I don’t have proof for this but I can’t imagine Vespasian would let the coinage of “usurpers” circulate freely with his own.

    If I was Vespasian I’d recall and melt any coinage of the other 3 Emperors who challenged my claim to the throne and remint it into my own coinage.

    Because letting their coinage circulate would be a reminder to the Roman people of those challenges to my authority. I’d want them to forget about it.
     
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  15. ambr0zie

    ambr0zie Dacian Taraboste

    That is really an achievement.
    My only Otho is a provincial from Antioch.
    Unfortunately his name is not legible on the coin (so I wasn't convinced it is indeed an Otho) but the CT colleagues confirmed it is. I like the coin - bold portrait and a nice countermark.
    upload_2022-5-13_0-50-27.png


    Syria, Seleucis and Pieria. Antiochia ad Orontem. Otho. A.D. 69. Æ 14.97gr

    IMP M OTHO CAE(S) AVG (clockwise), laureate head of Otho, r. / S C, inscription in a laurel wreath of eight leaves. Countermarked - Howgego 245 - Athena facing right with shield and spear

    RPC I 4318, BMC 207, 209–11, McAlee 321c
     
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  16. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    Ooh that’s a beauty! I almost gave up looking for a denarius of Otho and was going to buy a different denomination if I didn’t win this one.

    But I’m trying as hard as I can to get a denarius specifically of every Emperors portrait so I wanted to at least try my best to get one before I gave up.
     
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  17. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    I think you did well. The legibility of the name makes up for a lot, and the outline of the portrait is clear. Congratulations!

    Good luck with Claudius and Caligula: as expensive as Otho denarii are, the denarii of Claudius and Caligula in equivalent condition seem to cost three or four times as much.
     
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  18. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    Thanks Donna!

    I plan on saving those two for last lol xD

    At least then I can justify the crazy expense by telling myself it’s the last or second to last coin I need to complete my set.

    I think I got a bit lucky that this Otho still has a fully legible “OTHO” still remaining on the obverse. I’ve seen some of them where the “OTHO” is either super worn to the point of being impossible to read or even worse the “OTHO” is completely missing due to an off center strike.
     
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  19. Carl Wilmont

    Carl Wilmont Well-Known Member

    Interesting to see the variety of Otho's in this post. Here's my example of the OP type.


    upload_2022-5-12_21-19-52.jpeg


    Otho, 69. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 2.99 g, 6 h), Rome. IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P Bare head of Otho to right. Rev. VICTORIA OTHONIS Victory advancing right, holding wreath in her right hand and palm over her left shoulder. BMC 22. Cohen 27. RIC 14.
     
  20. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

  21. Gam3rBlake

    Gam3rBlake Well-Known Member

    That’s a much nicer example than mine! xD
     
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