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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 8290190, member: 82616&quot;]Being a specialist provides you with the skills needed to pick out overlooked rarities within your area of expertise. Such is the case with my latest coin which was erroneously misattributed as a common Judaea Capta type from Rome - it is not.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1465318[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Vespasian</b></p><p>Æ Sestertius, 25.45g</p><p>Lyon mint, 71 AD</p><p>Obv: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M TR P P P COS III; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.; globe at point of bust</p><p>Rev: IVDAEA CAPTA; S C in exergue; Palm tree; to l., Vespasian stg. r. with spear and parazonium, foot on helmet; to r., Judaea std. r. on cuirass</p><p>RIC 1134 (R). BMC 800. BNC -. Hendin 1543.</p><p>Acquired from Praefectus Coins, March 2022. Ex Roma 83, 6 May 2021, lot 622.</p><p><br /></p><p>In 70 AD Jerusalem was besieged and sacked and the Temple razed by the Roman forces commanded by Titus Caesar. The following year a massive joint Triumph was held in Rome for Vespasian and Titus to celebrate their successful conclusion of the Jewish Rebellion. Coins were also issued to commemorate their victory. These so called &#039;Judaea Capta&#039; coins first appeared in late 70 just after the fall of Jerusalem in August, both in the precious metals and at first sparingly in bronze. The overwhelming majority of these coins were produced in Rome, but many provincial imperial mints also contributed to the mass media onslaught of &#039;Judaea Capta&#039;. This rare sestertius from 71 struck in Lugdunum (modern Lyon) copies the iconic Rome mint proto-type of Vespasian proudly standing holding a spear and parazonium (a ceremonial triangular sword) with his foot on an enemy helmet, while Judaea is sitting on a captured cuirass in abject despair - take note of their size discrepancy. Modern viewers see this as a forlorn scene of defeat, however, to the Roman coin designers the images are meant to convey victory over a worthy foe. The Jewish War was an important event for the fledgling Flavian dynasty - in essence it gave them the legitimacy to rule. The ensuing avalanche of propaganda after the &#039;Gotterdammerung&#039; fall of Jerusalem is awe inspiring. The slight of hand the Flavian regime pulled off which transformed defeated rebel provincials into a foreign menace is truly amazing. The coins were a major part of the regime&#039;s propaganda commemorating Vespasian&#039;s defeat of the Jews and saving the empire. Their efforts paid off, for even today this &#039;Judaea Capta&#039; type is one of the most iconic and recognised reverses in the whole of Roman coinage.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Lugdunese variant of this iconic type is much rarer than the contemporaneous Rome mint equivalent. Lugdunum faithfully copied both the Rome mint legend and reverse design. They can be identified by the unique portrait style (squarish heads, prominent shoulders) and blocky, heavily serifed legends. In trade they are often confused with the much more common Rome variant. Missing from the Paris collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>Post your misattributed beauties![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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