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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 2478472, member: 82616&quot;]I&#039;m still trying to get my coining caught up after taking several days off. This didrachm arrived last week.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]522855[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Vespasian</b></p><p>AR Didrachm</p><p>Caesarea, Cappadocia mint, 76-77 AD</p><p>RPC 1647 (24 spec.)</p><p>Obv: AYTOKPA KAICAP OYЄCΠACIANOC CЄBACTOC; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.</p><p>Rev: NIKH CЄBACTH; Nike standing, r., wreath in r. hand, palm in l. hand</p><p>Acquired from CGB, July 2016. Ex MG Collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>Caesarea, Cappadocia struck a fairly large issue of silver coins in 76/77 AD. There are two distinct styles: &quot;Roman&quot; (6 o&#039;clock die axis) struck at Rome for Cappadocia , and &quot;local&quot; (12 o&#039;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 &quot;standing right&quot;, as opposed to those with the base as &quot;advancing right&quot;. Why this is so I cannot say.</p><p><br /></p><p>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&#039;s craggy appearance.</p><p><br /></p><p>The portrait should just be laureate, but I can&#039;t help but note there seems to be some other &#039;ties&#039; near the top of Vespasian&#039;s head. I&#039;m not sure what they are.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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