A Puzzling Coin

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by David Atherton, Dec 30, 2020.

  1. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    As 2020 thankfully draws to a close the last few coins of the year are trickling in. This early Domitian as Caesar bronze comes with a neat little mystery.


    V663-.jpg
    Domitian as Caesar RIC 663 [Vespasian]
    Æ Dupondius?, 10.48g
    Rome mint, 73-74 AD
    Obv: CAESAR AVG F DOMITIAN COS II; Head of Domitian, laureate, draped, bearded, r.
    Rev: S C in field; Spes stg. l., with flower
    RIC 663 (R2). BMC -. BNC -.
    Acquired from CGB.fr, December 2020.

    For Domitian Caesar's first major bronze issue at Rome under Vespasian draped busts are reserved for dupondii and the Spes reverses for asses. Therefore, this rare coin with a draped bust and Spes on the reverse presents quite a conundrum. RIC notes the discrepancy but does not make a ruling leaving the matter an open question (literally with a question mark). This specimen appears to be made of copper, hence an as, but the borderline dupondius weight of 10.48g does not clear things up. A puzzling coin type indeed!


    Feel free to post your numismatic puzzles!
     
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2020
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  3. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    That's part of the fun with collecting ancient coins :happy:. Sometimes hard rules don't apply :smuggrin:.
     
    David Atherton and +VGO.DVCKS like this.
  4. curtislclay

    curtislclay Well-Known Member

    David,

    An interesting and rare variant, though maybe not too difficult to explain!

    Red metal of course means an As, and that denomination is confirmed by the Spes rev. type, which normally only appears on asses not dupondii of this issue. So apparently an As struck from a dupondius obv. die, or struck from a draped obv. die before it was decided to restrict that type to dupondii. The weight of 10.48g also fits well with an As: Rome-mint asses averaged 10.75g under Vespasian, dupondii 12.86g (BMC p. xvi).
     
  5. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Curtis, I do like your theory that this piece could have been intentionally struck with a draped bust obverse die before it became standard for use on the dupondius. Although, I wonder if any of these were struck in orichalcum?
     
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  6. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Great coin, David. Congrats.
     
    David Atherton likes this.
  7. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Very cool conundrum, @David Atherton ! Like that.

    Hmmm... I am still stuck trying to get out of the Maeander Maze Puzzle on the reverse! I am lost... :)

    upload_2020-12-30_19-7-11.png
    RI Augustus 27BC-AD14 Æ20 5.5g 12h Apameia Phrygia Magistrate Attalos c 15BC Two corn-ears above maeander pattern RPC I, 3125 SCARCE
     
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