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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;lrbguy, post: 2855375, member: 88829&quot;]Had to be away for a class reunion (50th) for the last couple of days, so I missed the introduction of this thread.&nbsp; Some familiar looking coins have appeared here.</p><p><br /></p><p>My first example denarius for Otho is an interesting blend for this thread.&nbsp; The obverse is a die match for the obverse of the denarius Ides of March showed us initially.&nbsp; The reverse of my coin is of the same type (not a die match though) of the coin Cucumbor showed. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Marcus Salvius Otho (69)</b></p><p><b>(<i>BMCRE</i> 17; <i>RSC</i> 17; <i>RIC</i> 12)</b></p><p><b>All the coins of Otho were minted in gold or silver at Rome.</b></p><p><b><img src="https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/uploaded/lrbguy/20170811_8-Otho-den2-sm.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P</b></p><p><b>bare head facing right</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>Otho had seized the imperial office upon the death of Galba in mid-January, 69, but almost exactly 3 months later committed suicide in capitulation to the superiority of the forces behind Vitellius. Not surprisingly, only two obverse inscriptions appear on his silver coins, this being the earlier. Mattingly summarizes Otho&#039;s visage as, &quot;large full-featured, thick necked portrait with neatly dressed hair.&quot; Of Otho&#039;s appearance Suetonius made the remark, &quot;He was as neat as a woman...he wore a close fitting wig.&quot; If the wig was a standard, or even requisite, part of his attire, it might explain why it is that on all his coins he is bare headed, never laureate. Mattingly surmises that Otho was waiting on that for the Senate to confer the honor that would justify adopting the appearance of a Julio-Claudian.</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>SECV RI TAS P R</b></p><p><b>Securitas standing left, holding wreath and scepter</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>Securitas as a motif on coinage was first introduced by Nero celebrating his escape (SECURITAS AVGVSTI) from the conspiracy of Piso. Rebels of the Civil Wars had used the image, but now in reference to the people of Rome (PR=Populi Romani), not the emperor per se. Otho intended this latter connotation, using the PR, with the twist that Securitas is now standing holding the scepter (for dignity) and the wreath (for joy). Considering the brevity of his reign there is something ironic about his reference to this figure at all.</p><p><br /></p><p>My second coin has a lot in common with the denarius Severus Alexander showed us.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]678662[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>I prefer his reverse and my obverse.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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