I'm still trying to get my coining caught up after taking several days off. This didrachm arrived last week. Vespasian AR Didrachm Caesarea, Cappadocia mint, 76-77 AD RPC 1647 (24 spec.) Obv: AYTOKPA KAICAP OYЄCΠACIANOC CЄBACTOC; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: NIKH CЄBACTH; Nike standing, r., wreath in r. hand, palm in l. hand Acquired from CGB, July 2016. Ex MG Collection. Caesarea, Cappadocia struck a fairly large issue of silver coins in 76/77 AD. There are two distinct styles: "Roman" (6 o'clock die axis) struck at Rome for Cappadocia , and "local" (12 o'clock die axis) struck at Caesarea. This didrachm, struck in local style features Nike on the reverse. There are two variants of the Nike type catalogued in RPC, one with and the other without Nike on an elongated base. This is didrachm is the more common one without the elongated base. RPC consulted 24 specimens of the non base type and only 9 with the base. Oddly enough, RPC describes the non base type as Nike "standing right", as opposed to those with the base as "advancing right". Why this is so I cannot say. Struck in hyper-veristic style similar to the denarii coined at Ephesus. I much prefer this style over the neat and fine Rome mint examples. Many eastern engravers seemed to have relished depicting Vespasian's craggy appearance. The portrait should just be laureate, but I can't help but note there seems to be some other 'ties' near the top of Vespasian's head. I'm not sure what they are.
I considered a die break too, but then noticed the laurel wreath is engraved over top of the 'ties' in question. Doing a quick search I found another didrachm portrait in 'local' style with this mysterious 'tie'. None of the RPC plate coins show this feature and unsurprisingly it is not commented upon.
6.74g, 20mm. These were struck with a fineness near 48%, with an average weight of 6.85g, and contained about 3.29g of silver. A contemporary denarius of Vespasian, equal to one drachm, had 2.72g of silver which overvalued the didrachm by 67%!
It's quite plausible that the same engravers or engravers from the same school worked on both issues.
Wow David, I love that portrait. A lovely example of the engraver's art. Another great addition to your fantastic collection!
Great coin! Nice and hefty at 20mm. Great portrait. [QUOTE=" The portrait should just be laureate, but I can't help but note there seems to be some other 'ties' near the top of Vespasian's head. I'm not sure what they are.[/QUOTE] I am with die crack theory...so...cool die crack too.
Well, two things to consider - the laurel wreath is engraved over top of the mystery 'ties', and I have spotted another didrachm from a different obverse die that has these 'ties' too. Although rare, I believe it is some sort of elaborate feature of the wreath unique to this 'local' mint. Precisely what it is I'm not sure.
Curtis Clay believes the unusual feature on the portrait is most likely a die break too. After further consideration using Occam's razor, I cannot but agree with him. It's far more likely it's just a simple die break, rather than a new variant laurel wreath with 'ties'. Thanks everyone for the kind comments.
Gorgeous => congrats on that sweet OP-score, V70 (very cool addition) I have a didrachm example from the same place, but twenty years later ... Nerva AR Didrachm CAPPADOCIA, Caesaraea-Eusebia AD 96-98 Struck AD 98 Diameter: 20 x 22 mm Weight: 6.64 grams Obverse: Laureate head right Reverse: Club set on ground; date in legend Reference: Metcalf, Caesarea 45; Sydenham, Caesarea 153 => batter up!!
