Ancients: Otho

Great portrait @Eduard

 

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Here's my poor man's version (I apologize, still slabbed)


Otho, Feb-Mar 69 AD
AR denarius 3.49g - 18mm
Obv: IMP OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, bare head of Otho to right Rev: SECVRITAS P R, Securitas standing left

 

i'll be happy to get a poor man's otho denarius. i've already got several dollars invested in one and have yet to have an authentic one in my collection. you a fan of cicero's?

 

Definitely a fan of Cicero!

 

If you are a Roman history fan, you have to be a fan of Cicero. But I am also a fan of Seneca the Younger. Roman philosophers were a great part of Roman history.

 

I have a fascinating book "Roman Letters history from a personal point of view" by Finley Hooper and Matthew Schwartz.

 

i've often found it strange that there were no coins minted of the man for he was a great statesman of the republic amongst other things.

 

indeed they were sir...

 

sadly, i've only read a portion of this book so far, it's very old and fragile. (not a good excuse)

 

i recently got a old copy of suetonius's "the lives of the 12 caesars" and found it on the internet so i can read it w/o damaging my antique copy

 

Wow. That is truly an outstanding portrait. It seems to portray a certain sadness on Otho's countenance.

 

Awesome, wish mine was that nice.

 

Another poor man's Otho. The reverse pic is horrendous, I haven't had time to do more with it.

The black bits on the reverse are in fact shiny.

 

Mines poor too.

 

that's a nice otho Pish, excellent portrait and the reverse is still in good shape.

 

Cicero actually did issue a few cistophoric tetradrachms in his name in 51/50 BC, when he was proconsul in Laodiceia. Usual cistophor types. They're very very rare. I know there was an example in Niggler in 1965, but I don't think any have appeared for sale in my own collecting lifetime.

 

Another one like the OP and @Eduard's. Interesting variety of portrait styles in this issue, all very nice. (Also an interesting story for how this coin was omitted from RIC!)

 

Do tell?

 

The story is at the end of AJ's OP. Sutherland thought the only example he knew of was a fake! Which it probably was.

 

that's interesting!