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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 3135620, member: 82616&quot;]As a specialist I tend to look for things that other folks would think are not too important. For instance, the number of corn-ears.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]800652[/ATTACH]<b>Vespasian</b></p><p>AR Denarius, 3.20g</p><p>Rome mint, 77-78 AD</p><p>RIC 980 (C). BMC 216. RSC 216.</p><p>Obv: CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, right.</p><p>Rev: IMP XIX across field; Modius, standing on three legs, containing six ears of corn upright and two hanging over the sides</p><p>Acquired from Forvm Ancient Coins, July 2018.</p><p><br /></p><p>A rare and, to my knowledge, unique variant of the common modius type. Normally just five corn-ears are seen standing upright with two hanging over the sides, here there are six standing upright. This deviation from the stock design was perhaps an engraver&#039;s error or whim. The modius type celebrates the emperor&#039;s provision of free grain to all Roman citizens, certainly a most valuable propaganda type! Normally, Vespasian shared his reverse designs with Titus Caesar - the modius was not one of them, perhaps emphasising Vespasian&#039;s sole responsibility for the grain supply. Unusually, the type was not directly modelled from any coin designs struck in the past and was part of an agrarian series of denarius reverse types struck between 77 and 78.&nbsp; The portrait is a superb example of Rome mint engraving in the latter half of Vespasian&#039;s reign.</p><p><br /></p><p>So far, I have not been able to locate another specimen with six upright corn-ears. If anyone knows of another please let me know! I would be curious to see if it is a die match or not.</p><p><br /></p><p>For comparison, here is my five upright corn-ears version.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]800674[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I suppose you really are a specialist (crazy?) when you are counting the number of corn-ears on a coin design!</p><p><br /></p><p>Feel free to post your minutiae![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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