Father and Son Die Match

Here are two rarer denarii of Vespasian and Titus from my collection, both with the same reverse die. (Interestingly, this same die was also used to strike aurei for Titus, pictured below but unfortunately NOT in my collection).



The reverse type refers to Vespasian and Titus' triumph over the Jews in 71 AD, the year before the coin was struck. Curtis Clay noted that usually the branch held by the emperor is depicted in the field, below the scepter that he holds in his other hand, but on this die Titus rests his right forearm on the rim of the car and holds the branch slightly downwards, so that it is seen overlapping the top of the car, just above the tail of the horse in the foreground.

I was wondering if anyone else has examples of intentionally shared reverse dies for these or any other Emperors?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

My assumption is that the same workshop produced denarii for both Vespasian and Titus Caesar since they often shared the same reverse types. There are also quite a few mules mixing wrong titles struck for both, which lends further evidence of a shared workshop within the mint.

 

Fascinating. It makes me envision an assembly line of three different anvil dies, denarius, denarius, aureus, repeat.

 

OK. I'm jealous. Love them all.

 

Thanks guys. David's assumption of a shared workshop makes perfect sense.

 

Nice matches Nemo!

 

Thanks. If anyone knows who owns the aureus, I'm leaving an empty slot in my coin cabinet.

 

Just to add context to how rare this type is for Vespasian at Rome, the new RIC II had to use my specimen for the plate coin (RIC 49) - and it isn't as nice as Nemo's.

 

Great find & beautiful coins. Shame you can't get the gold to complete a bit of a set.

 

The "Emesa" mint of Septimius Severus provides some examples of this with his wife Julia Domna.


To me more odd are her coins using masculine and even dated reverses that I have not been able to find a link to a coin of Septimius. First prize in this sweepstakes would have to go to a coin sharing a reverse die with Pescennius Niger. They used several of the same types but I have not found a die match yet.

 

Thanks Matt. David, I wouldn't have been on the lookout for that Vespasian if it hadn't been for your example!

Doug those are great. Hard to beat the husband and wife connection. I with I knew enough about Niger and Septimius to spot a die match, I agree that would be phenomenal!