Sometimes you wait for a coin type in vain, other times Fortuna surprises you! This Vespasian Lugdunese denarius is one I've patiently sought out for over a decade. A personal white whale* if you will. A fellow collector was recently able to help me acquire this fantastically rare specimen. Vespasian AR Denarius, 2.98g Lyon Mint, 71 AD Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG TR P; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: IVDAEA; Palm tree; to r., Judaea std. r., hands bound behind RIC 1118 (R2). BMC Spec. acquired 1980. RSC 231. BNC 298. Hendin 1487. Acquired from eBay, April 2021. Lugdunum produced a small issue of undated denarii in 71 which copied contemporary Rome mint types. Curiously, this is the only Judaea Capta denarius reverse the Lugdunum mint duplicated from Rome. The depiction of a bound personification of Judaea is similar to the unique IVDAEA DEVICTA denarius type from this same issue. Very rare at Rome, this Lugdunese variant is exceedingly so and scarcely shows up in trade. *A word about terminology here. I've noticed that the terms 'white whale' and 'grail' often gets muddled and confused. A 'white whale' should be a coin that is a personal obsession, one that may or not be rare but rigorously pursued. A 'grail' on the other hand could also be rare but is commonly recognised by the community as an important piece, a cornerstone coin. At any rate, that's how I apply both terms. Post your 'white whales', worn or otherwise.
A great addition David! It is always a great feeling to check one off the list, especially when one has been searching for so long. Count me as one who has muddled those terms. In the sense you mean I believe the following qualifies as both. As a grail coin, this is certainly one that many have looked for. One does not have to be a collector of Flavian coins to want one of these. At the same time...it is also certainly a white whale for me. I actually never thought I would own one of these though I have been searching for one for a number of years. There is one of these reverses for Vespasian as well though that one is not as rare as this Titus. As for the reverse, the meaning seems to have been lost to antiquity. As for the agrarian series of denarii, this is the rarest member of that group. Titus, as Caesar (AD 79-81). AR denarius. Rome. 77-78 CE (19mm, 3.09 gm, 7h). Obv: laureate head of Titus right; T CAESAR VESPASIANVS Rev: Goatherder seated left on rocks, milking goat over vessel; IMP XIII, RIC 985 (Vespasian); BMC 230;RSC 103 Ex: Heritage Auctions 2021 January 20-21 Wednesday & Thursday World & Ancient Coins Weekly Online Auction #232103 / Lot #63167
Hi All, White whale and grail and worn (but the price was right ). OBV: Cleopatra VII diademed and draped portrait bust with earrings and necklaced, above a prow, facing right. Legend starting at 3:00 position: CL[EOPATRAE - REGINAE REGVM FILIORVM REGVM]. Dotted border. REV: Marcus Antonius bare-headed portrait head facing right. In left field: four-pointed Armenian. Legend starting at 7:00 position: ANTON[I ● ARMENI]A ● DEVICTA. Dotted border. References: Sv-1906 pl lxiii, 31; Crawford 543/1; CRI 345; cf Sydenham 1210-1210b; cf RSC 1-1e; BMCRR East 179; CNR II 2; RSC 1c; Kestner 3836; FFC Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra 6; Babelon, Antonia 95; Cohen-0001. Appearance: Reverse: Triangular banker's mark on Antony's cheek. Die match to NAC Auction 25 (25 Jun 2006), Lot #339 and CNG Electronic Auction 392 (01 Mar 2017). Lot #504 (https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=330745 as seen 24-Apr-2021). So far, I have not been able to locate these dies in Richard Schaefer’s archive of Roman Republican Dies at the ANS. Any help appreciated. - Broucheion
Congrats with adding this rarity to your collection! It's very nice to add a long desired type. For me, this Secular games denarius was an absolute white whale. Although the herald denarius is certainly not rare, it is difficult to find a decent specimen. I had long wanted a coin that referred to a concrete historical event and when I got this, that wish was fulfilled. Domitian 81-96 AR Denarius Struck 88-89 AD IMP CAES DOMIT AVG - GERM P M TR P VIII laureate head right. COS XIIII LVD SAEC FEC herald with feather in cap walking left, holding round shield and wand. 3,28g/18,5mm Ric 596 (C2) Ex Ebay
Wow! I'm happy for you, @David Atherton! It's a fantastic feeling to finally acquire a long-coveted coin! Any of the Judea Capta coins are in high demand, even from the Rome mint, and competition is always fierce at auction or the prices are high at retail shops. I don't think I've seen an example of that coin from the Lugdunum mint before. This one is a personal white whale and it's a worn one. It's merely scarce, not rare, and Clio wouldn't have any trouble obtaining one. Examples come up at auction a few times a year and there are even a few available at V coins right now. The problem for me has always been finding one that fit my budget. I was the successful bidder on this one earlier this year for a hammer price I could afford. It took more than two months to arrive from Spain, but it now happily resides in my numophylacium Faustinae! It's special because Faustina was the first empress to be awarded the title of Mater Castrorum, "the mother of the camps." This posthumous issue honors her with that title. Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman AR denarius, 2.80 g, 18.1 mm, 6 h. Rome, third posthumous issue, AD 176 and later. Obv: DIVAE FAVSTINAE PIAE, veiled and draped bust, right. Rev: MATRI CASTRORVM, Faustina II seated left, holding phoenix on globe in right hand and transverse scepter in left hand; before her, two standards. Refs: RIC 753 corr.; BMCRE 705; Cohen 161 corr.; RSC 161; RCV 5220; MIR 49-4/19; CRE 175. Notes: Cohen (corrected by Seaby in RSC), cited without correction by RIC, reports Faustina's portrait as diademed as well as veiled -- an error, probably caused by the added prominence the die engravers give to the front edge of the veil.
