David Atherton's Top Ten of 2020

Spectecular coins, a wonderful coinyear for you indeed. My favorite is your no. 1, great coin, interesting connection between coin and (ancient) literature, and who doesn't love architectural coins!

 

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Excellent work assembling this fantastic set of Lavians, @David Atherton . Super!

 

Thank you all for the kind comments. They are deeply appreciated!

 

Of course with no surviving mint records it's hard to be certain, but I would bet several denarii Domitian had a pretty good grip on the mint.

 

Specialization at its best !
Only a connoisseur of your level could spot so many exceptionnal coins in one year of time : not just gapfillers but milestones !

Q

 

Eagle-eyed observers will have noticed the paltry number of Titus coins on the list. That's not because I didn't purchase any in 2020, far from it! As a matter of fact there were several that almost made it - they just lacked a certain snap, crackle, and pop to get them over the hump. I would like to take this opportunity to present a few of them as runners-up.

10a.
Titus as Caesar [Agrippa II]
Æ27, 14.89g
Caesarea Paneas mint, 73-74 AD
Obv: ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΤΙΤΟϹ - ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ϹΕΒΑϹ; Bust of Titus, laureate, draped and cuirassed, r.
Rev: ΕΤ ΔΙ-ΒΑ / ΑΓΡΙ-ΠΠΑ; Victory standing, r., holding wreath and palm
RPC 2246 (0 spec.). Hendin 1302.
Acquired from Zuzim, November 2020. Ex Fontanille Coins, Auction 95, May 2017, lot 7.

Agrippa II sporadically struck coinage for the Flavian dynasty throughout his long reign. The coins circulated within his kingdom (Northern Palestine) and were likely coined at Caesaera Panesa, although the mint is not certain (Hendin places it at Caesarea Maritima). Confusingly, Agrippa's mint(s) employed two different dating eras for his coinage - one starting in 56 and the second in 60 or 61. This middle bronze struck in the name of Titus Caesar is dated regnal year 14 by the second era and was produced in either 73 or 74 AD. Puzzling, according to this dating scheme, this is the only lifetime issue of the Cuirassed bust/Victory type struck for Titus Caesar, the bulk of his coinage being produced posthumously under Domitian! It's a fabulously rare coin with 0 specimens cited by RPC in the 'core' museum collections. Historical note: The siege of Masada in southern Judaea was conducted contemporaneously with this coin's production.

This almost made it because of the stellar portrait, but the poor reverse was the deal-breaker.


10b.

Titus as Caesar [Vespasian]
Æ Dupondius, 11.49g
Lyon mint, 77-78 AD
Obv: T CAES IMP AVG F TR P COS VI CENSOR; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.; globe at point of bust
Rev: FELICITAS PVBLICA; S C in field; Felicitas stg. l., with caduceus and cornucopiae
RIC 1252 (C2). BMC 856. BNC 859.
Acquired from Tantalus.com, October 2020. Ex Steve Santore Collection.

In 77-78 Lugdunum (modern Lyon) after an interval of several years struck a decently sized issue of bronze coinage, presumably to address a shortage in the Western provinces. These coins are commonly found in hoards throughout Britain and France. The types copy those common to Rome and feature the distinctive Lugdunese 'blocky' portraits. Unlike the previous issues struck before the hiatus, coins were now produced for Titus and Domitian. This laureate dupondius (unradiate dupondius portraits are a hallmark of this mint) struck for Titus Caesar features the common Felicitas reverse type, likely based on a familiar cult image of the deity. This is easily the most common dupondius type of the issue struck for Titus.

Having two Titus Caesar Lugdunese coins on the list would seem kind of redundant. I chose to include the rarer example, despite this one having the better portrait.



10c.

Titus as Caesar [Vespasian]
AR Quinarius, 1.37g
Rome mint, 75(?) AD
Obv: T CAESAR VESPASIAN; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTI; Victory adv. r., with wreath and palm
RIC 807 (C). BMC 313. RSC 373. BNC 275.
Acquired from Dr. Busso Peus Nachf., October 2020.

Vespasian's moneyer's struck a great issue of undated quinarii in 75, possibly in conjunction with the opening of his Temple of Peace. These tiny coins may have been distributed during special occasions. Two standard Victory types (seated or advancing) were employed along with various variant legend spellings and orientations. The variations are: obverse legend - VESPASIANVS or more commonly for Titus Caesar VESPASIAN; reverse legend - AVGVSTI or less commonly AVGVST. The reverse legend can also either be oriented from low r. or high l. Dating this undated issue is a little tricky. The quinarii struck before 75 have AVGVSTI in the reverse legend, while those struck after 75 use the shorter AVGVST. The undated issue employs both forms, therefore it fits neatly to 75. This Titus Caesar quinarius is one of the more common variants struck for him during the issue.

This is a good, solid example of a Flavian quinarius ... it had the unfortunate luck to be acquired during a year when several other coins had a bit more going for them.



10d.
Titus as Caesar [Vespasian]
Æ Sestertius, 24.15g
Rome mint, 72 AD
Obv: T CAES VESPASIAN IMP PON TR POT COS II; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: IVDAEA CAPTA; S C in exergue; Palm tree; to l., Titus stg. r. with spear and parazonium, foot on helmet; to r., Judaea std. r.
RIC 422 (R). BMC 631. BNC 618. Hendin 1523.
Acquired from Marti Classical Numismatics, October 2020.

Vespasian and Titus Caesar held a joint triumph in 71 for their Jewish War victory, but it wasn't until the following year that Judaea Capta coins were struck for Titus commemorating his own military achievement during the siege of Jerusalem. The reverse of this rare sestertius first struck for Titus in 72 directly copies one famously coined for Vespasian the previous year. This iconic type features a triumphal Titus proudly standing, holding a spear and parazonium (a triangular sword) with his foot on an enemy helmet, while the personification of Judaea sits at the base of a palm tree (representing the land of Judaea) in abject despair - take note of their size discrepancy.

The pitting on the obverse just barely kept this one off the list, although I dearly love the portrait and the coin's rarity.


And did I mention that the two coins currently winging their way to me that could've made the list are Titus's? Hopefully I'll be able to include them on my 2021 'best of' list!

 

The Titus quinarius would have made my top ten and would quite possibly have been in the top 5. That portrait is superb.

 

Fine additions to your collection. The "Mistake rectified", #6 is my favorite.

 

A great list @David Atherton, as much for the write-ups as for the coins - I enjoyed reading & browsing. I found favorites at both ends of the list - with elephant arch (#1), the audacity of Domitian with thunderbolt (#10), and the dreams of Vespasian's resurgent Rome #2. Happy New Year!

 

As a fellow Flavian specialist, I would be curious to know what your 2020 Top Ten coins would be from my collection and vice-versa. How radically different would the lists be?

 

Hmmm. that would be interesting. While our criteria and priorities would differ I like to think that overall our choices as to the most noteworthy of our coins would be quite similar. I think it would be fair to say that we would both recognize quality even though our definition of what makes a coin great would be different. For example, the elephant quadriga is magnificent and historically important. However, I have chosen not to pursue bronze coins with a very few exceptions. As for me I have demonstrated an interest in the coins of Domitian during his first year as Augustus. However, that does not keep me from loving the coins you choose. In more than one case it has been a post of your here that has led to some of my more interesting coins.

 

I'm an Eastern fan so 7 and 5 top the list to me.

 

A fantastic group David. While I agree the Domitian is spectacular my favorite is the dynastic denarius with that eastern style. I've always loved Eastern portraits. Your late arrival 10a Titus/Agrippa is up there too for me. Congrats on all the rarities!