Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 5387494, member: 82616&quot;]I recently acquired these two coins during the holidays and thought it appropriate they should be posted together. One is rare the other isn&#039;t.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1231310[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Vespasian</b></p><p>Æ Dupondius, 12.30g</p><p>Lyon mint, 77-78 AD</p><p>Obv: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS VIII P P; Head of Vespasian, radiate, l.; globe at point of bust</p><p>Rev: FORTVNAE REDVCI; S C in field; Fortuna stg. l., with rudder on globe and cornucopiae</p><p>RIC 1216 (R). BMC p. 207 note. BNC -.</p><p>Acquired from eBay, December 2020. Formerly in NGC holder #5770255-021, with grade &#039;F&#039;.</p><p><br /></p><p>A possible shortage of bronze coinage in the Western provinces late in Vespasian&#039;s reign likely prompted the Lyon mint to temporarily reopen in 77-78 and strike a fairly substantial issue of coinage. The types copy many of those struck at Rome, including this Fortuna. Very rare with radiate bust left. Missing from both the BM and Paris collections. FORTVNAE REDVCI, Fortuna the &#039;homebringer&#039;, commemorates Vespasian&#039;s safe return to Rome from the East in 70 AD.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1231311[/ATTACH]<b>Domitian</b></p><p>Æ As, 8.76g</p><p>Rome mint, 88 AD</p><p>Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XIIII CENS PER P P; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.</p><p>Rev: FORTVNAE AVGVSTI; S C in field; Fortuna stg. l., with rudder and cornucopiae</p><p>RIC 648 (C2). BMC 416. BNC 452.</p><p>Acquired from eBay, December 2020.</p><p><br /></p><p>This common Fortuna type was repeatedly struck throughout Domitian&#039;s reign on his middle bronze. She also fleetingly showed up on the denarius in 82. Mattingly calls this Fortuna &#039;the special Fortuna that watches over the imperial office&#039;. Suetonius writes that near the end of Domitian&#039;s reign on 1 January 96 &#039;The Fortuna of Praeneste, which throughout the whole time he was emperor had habitually given him a happy and virtually the same answer to him whenever he entrusted the new year to her care, finally gave a most gloomy answer - and not without the mention of blood.&#039;</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Fortuna is a very common type on the Flavian bronze coinage. Both of these coins struck ten years apart and at separate mints illustrate different attributes of the goddess.</p><p><br /></p><p>Please post your Fortunas![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in