Here are two rough-and-tumble drachms of the emperor Vespasian minted in Alexandria. You know, large unwieldy yellowish bronze coins rounded on one side and sharp-rimmed at the other. They are both variants of Emmett 208. I can't read any dates on them. The emperor is on the flat side, Nike (Victory) on the convex side. The other drachms I know have the emperor on the convex side. Both coins were sloppily made, but I doubt if they have been used and worn a lot. I await your comments! Beautiful they aren't! But interesting. AE drachm Vespasian, Alexandria. Left. Bust of Nike with little wings on her shoulders. r. Right. Laureated head of Vespasian r. 35 mm, 21.85 gr. Emmett 208. AE drachm Vespasian, Alexandria. Obv. Bust of Nike r. Rev. Head of Vespasian r. 37 x 35 mm, 20.69 gr. Emmett 208.
Very cool! I find beauty in some ugly things lol eye of the beholder and all that. I don't have a Vespasian, but here's one of his boys (and it has the same strike side for the obv/rev as yours): Domitian, Ruled 81-96 AD AE Diobol, Egypt, Alexandria Struck 88/89 AD Obverse: AYTOK KAIΣAP Δ•MITIANOE ΣEB ΓEPM, laureate head right. Reverse: Draped bust of Alexandria right in elephant headdress, date ΕΤΟVΣ ΟΓΔΟΟV as legend, RY 8. (Original collector’s envelope is misattributed.) References: Emmett 278 (reverse unlisted for this year) Size: 23mm, 7.7g Ex: The Reverend Willis McGill Collection (McGill was an American missionary stationed in Egypt, who started collecting there during World War I)
Interesting indeed. Very nice pickups. I have a Dattari plate coin of Vespasian. It is a diabol. It is also not a beautiful coin but I love it anyway. Egypt, Alexandria. Dattari. Vespasian, 69-79 Diobol circa 70-71 (year 3), Æ ( 26.5mm., 9.15g.) Obv: Laureate head r. Rev. Bust of Isis r.; in front, LΓ. RPC 2430 (this coin cited). Dattari-Savio Pl. 14, 382 (this coin). Brown tone. Very Fine. From the Dattari collection. Naville Numismatics Auction #30, Lot 283, April 02, 2017. Coin depicted in the Wildwinds.com database.
Vespasian. Tet of Alexandria, 25 mm 12.2 grams. Reverse: Nike. On this one you can tell there is some silver in the coin.
Yes, 'rough and tumble' ... but with a lot of appeal. I wish I could precisely attribute them for you.
There was a mild discussion over a handful of posts by Doug and TIF about this when TIF helped ID my Domitian I shared... https://www.cointalk.com/threads/latest-marcus-aurelius.326939/#post-3234157
This reverse type was struck RY 1-3, and only RY 2 & 3 used the AVTOK KAIΣ Σ[EB AO VEΣΠAΣIANOΥ] obverse legend, so can be narrowed down to 69/70 or 70/71 AD.
I have no Vespasians and no Flavian drachms but will show three Domitian minors. dichalkon ibis LIA obol griffin diobol bull
Great @Terence! I have the same type, but hesitated about the identity of the goddess. Now I see it is the same, even the same date, but much more battered than yours.
