My latest arrival is a pretty little semis which has a neat numismatic story behind it, not to mention a bit of a mystery. Titus as Caesar Æ Semis, 3.31g Rome mint, 74 AD (Vespasian) Obv: T•CAES•IMP•TR•POT; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: ANTIOCHIA; Bust of city-goddess, r. RIC 1574 (C). BMC -. BNC -. RPC 1997 (10 spec.). Acquired from Forvm Ancient Coins, January 2020. Traditionally, the issue this rather interesting semis is from has been attributed to various different mints over the years. Ted Buttrey writing in the RIC II.1 Addenda commented extensively on it. Because both the Addenda has yet to see the light of day and T. Buttrey's thoughts on the subject are important (and indeed likely correct), I have largely quoted it in full here with some minor editing. 'RIC 756-767 are irregular Dupondii, which should be taken together with Asses, semisses and quadrantes (RIC 1564-1581), forming together a single extraordinary issue in four denominations, distinct in typology and metal, as well as overall character from the regular coinage of the year. Although Eastern in aspect and reverse type, the circulation area of the dupondii is almost exclusively Gaul, Germany, Italy – i.e. the West, with scarcely any penetration of the East. Finds of the smaller denominations are rarely attested anywhere, East or West. The citations in RPC II are drawn almost entirely from Western collections, and total: Western - 108, Eastern - 4. The Eastern finds appear to be simply the débris of Mediterranean circulation. Previously the series had been attributed to Commagene (BMCRE II, pp.217-222), then as a likelihood to Antioch (e.g. RPC II 1982-2005). The correct attribution to Rome is proved by mules of the dupondii with regular issues (Buttrey, “Vespasian’s Roman Orichalcum: An Unrecognized Celebratory Coinage” in David M. Jacobson and Nikos Kokkinos, Judaea and Rome in Coins, 65 CBE – 135 CE (2012). The series had nothing to do with Syria or with the East at all, yet it was purposefully designed to appear non-Roman: the suppression of the traditional reverse sub-inscription S C throughout; the suppression of the radiate crown of the Dupondius; the shifting of the consular dating from the obv. to the rev.; the striking of all four denominations in orichalcum; and most obviously the selection of rev. dies which reek of the East (while admitting that they are not Eastern, see on the semis the bust of the city-goddess accompanied by the Latin legend ANTIOCHIA, in imitation of the type actually struck there with the Greek legend ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΩΝ – SNG Cop Antioch 99-103, 112, etc. ). There is nothing like this series in the whole of Roman imperial coinage. It is a deliberate act of Orientalism, imposing the flavour of the East on a Western coinage. The key to its understanding is the reverse type of the dupondius, two crossed cornuacopiae with a winged caduceus between. It replicates the type of an obscure issue of the Galilean city of Sepphoris, an issue which had been, astonishingly, signed by Vespasian himself (ΕΠΙ ΟΥΕCΠΑCΙΑΝΟΥ, “on the authority of…”) when on duty there in the last days of Nero. The whole of this series memorializes not Vespasian the conquering general (IVDAEA CAPTA, VICTORIA AVGVSTI), but the man. His re-use of earlier coin types is well-known; here he re-uses his own, harking back to his career just prior to his final success in seizing the empire. And the series was struck in 74 A.D., co-terminous with the celebration of Vespasian’s first quinquennium.' I think it quite extraordinary that the Rome mint would produce a coin blatantly featuring an Eastern provincial city-goddess that was intended for circulation in the West. Vespasian's fondness for the region that elevated him to the purple must have been strong indeed! The heavy use of dots in the obverse legend is a curiosity as well. I like how the city-goddess on the reverse looks like Titus Caesar wearing a turreted crown. Feel free to post your city-goddesses or anything you believe is relevant.
I was also going to point out Titus-Tyche. That is a curious issue, especially considering the fact that the metal is orichalcum for all the issues. Surely that would have been a source of confusion during circulation? Great coin, and full of character!
Very nice new coin! Here is mine... It's it the same issue? I might have my details incorrect (any obviously out-of-date). Though, it filled the Titus slot in my Antiochene bronze collection nicely... But maybe I'll need to search out another type? Titus (as Caesar), Ruled 79-81 AD AE19, Struck 74 AD, Rome mint S̶t̶r̶u̶c̶k̶ ̶7̶6̶-̶7̶7̶ ̶A̶D̶,̶ ̶S̶y̶r̶i̶a̶,̶ ̶A̶n̶t̶i̶o̶c̶h̶ ̶m̶i̶n̶t̶ Semis; Circulated in the West based on find location. D̶e̶n̶o̶m̶i̶n̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶H̶e̶x̶a̶c̶h̶a̶l̶k̶o̶n̶.̶ ̶M̶i̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶R̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶S̶y̶r̶i̶a̶/̶A̶n̶t̶i̶o̶c̶h̶.̶ Obverse: T•CAES•IMP•TR•POT•, Laureate head of Titus right. Reverse: ANTI-OCHIA, Turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche right. References: RPC II 1997; McAlee 392 Size: 19mm, 3.68g Edit: Updated.
Yes, that is the same coin type from the same issue. Rome mint, 74 AD. The overwhelming circulation pattern is Western with hardly any found in the supposed region it has been traditionally attributed to!
The list of confusing things about this issue is quite extensive, the metal included. I would love to know what the typical 'Roman on the street' would have thought of it.
Nice one David. My how things change in 100 years! Antony was vilified for being "Eastern" and here Vespasien celebrates it! Here's mine from the series RIC 0757 Vespasian Dupondius IMP CAESAR VESPASIAN AVG Laureate head of Vespasian right PON MAX TR POT P P COS V CENS winged caduceus between two cornucopiae 10.79g Rome, 74 AD RIC 757 (C2)
