Most recent purchase - Vitellius

Yes, I know that he is a little 'beat up' and a lot worse for wear, but he is hard to get, and he is mine.

VITELLIUS. 69 AD. AR Denarius
18 mm., 2.46 gm,. Rome mint.
Obv: Laureate head right
Rev: Concordia seated left, holding patera and cornucopiae.
RIC I. 73; BMCRE 7; RSC 20.

 

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Congrats, Topcat => yah, I don't have that dude yet

 

Good stuff! I have one too:
Honest wear is fine. If it's 2,000 years old, it should look it!

 

Of the three, Otho, Galba, and Vitellius, I think Otho is the hardest and most expensive, but none are easy to come by in any grade (yes, I know, they are available). Congrats on this acquisition.

 

Cool posts of a relatively scarce example (s) of Vitellius. I guess we all do what we can with our available budgets at any given time. Many of mine ( different Emperors) are lower grade simply because I wanted them but had to work with the budget I had. I almost pulled the trigger on a Didius Julianus that most of us would consider unacceptable for the grade and costs regardless of 'rarity'...but 'condition' is not always all that matters.

My denarius was purchased sometime in the 1980's and I still haven't attempted a 'second photo' despite this poor 1st attempt a year ago.

 

Cool addition.


Vitellius (69 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: Laureate head right.
R: S P Q R / OB / C S in three lines within wreath.
Rome Mint, 69 A.D.
3g
18.5mm
RIC I 83; RSC 86.

 

cool pick up of a pretty rare dude TC!

i don't have one of this guy either.

 

Great addition TC, here is mine.

 

I picked up this Vitellius as an example of his early issues with portrait resembling Otho.

 

Once again, that's another example I was unaware of.....I would've been totally perplexed at who it was meant to depict (re:legend/portrait). Way cool Doug!!!

 

Wonderful pick up! Looks great...and they are fairly hard to get... I am traveling to a funeral, but will post mine when I return in a few days.

 

Thanks for the comments and the photos.

 

Roman Empire
Vitellius 69 BCE
AR Denarius
Rome mint
18mm, 3g
Obv: A VITELLIUS GERM IMP AVG TR P. Laureate head r
Rev: PONT MAXIM, Vesta, veiled, seated r on throne, holding patera and scepter
Ref: RIC I pg 273 #107
Ex: @Mat

 

Congrats on a tougher emperor!

 

Nice one @Topcat7 . I too have a worn down version of one of the scarce 69 AD emperors:

Galba, Roman Empire
AR denarius
Obv: IMP SER GALBA CAESAR AVG, laureate head right
Rev: ROMA RENASC, Roma, helmeted and in military dress, standing left, holding Victory and transverse, eagle-tipped sceptre
Mint: Rome (struck June 68- January 69 AD)
Ref: RIC 195

 

How about one with his daddy Lucius?

Vitellius / L. Vitellius Denarius
Vitellius (69 AD). AR Denarius, 18 mm, 2.51 g. Rome mint.
O: A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG TR P, laureate head right.
R: L VITELLIVS COS III CENSOR, L. Vitellius seated left on curule chair, holding branch and eagle-tipped sceptre.
RIC I, 97 (R); Cohen 55 (40 Francs).

Lucius Vitellius the elder, the father of the emperor of the same name, had an impressive career under Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. He achieved the highest honors attainable by a private man at Rome under the Empire: consul for the third time and censor. He held these offices during the reign of Claudius, being a close friend of the emperor and the most influential Roman senator.

Vitellius died unexpectedly from a paralytic stroke in 51 and received a statue on the speaker's platform on the Roman Forum, with the inscription 'Of unwavering loyalty to the emperor'.

The year 36 saw an incident which deserves mentioning. In Judaea, a Samaritan, claiming to be Moses reincarnate, gathered an armed following. The prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, intervened immediately, dispersed the crowd, and had the ringleaders executed. The Samaritans considered his violence excessive and appealed to the Syrian governor. Lucius heard their complaints, sent Pilate back to Italy and appointed Marcellus. Pilate's co-ruler in Judaea, the high priest Joseph Caiaphas, was replaced by his brother-in-law Jonathan.

 

Nice coins all. I enjoyed reading 69 A.D., The Year of the Four Emperors by M. Gwyn Morgan. I have only the easiest of them, Nero. I keep thinking one day, but RR pieces keep getting in my way.


http://www.preteristarchive.com/Books/2006_morgan_ad69_four-emperors.html

 

I have a pretty ruddy Galba... but he fills my RE Album slot very nicely:



Roman Empire
Galba. A.D. 68-69.
AE dupondius (11.11 g).
Rome mint, struck A.D. 68.
Obv: SER GALBA IMP CAES AVG TR P, bare head right
Rev: S P Q R/ OB/ CIV SER, legend within oak wreath.
RIC 290
Comment: I freed this from a Slab!

 

I like it!

 

@Topcat7, always glad to see one of those three dudes entering a friend's collection.

I'm still lacking Galba in silver (just a middle bronze so far) but can show two nice ones for the two others. Given their condition I'm gonna have hard time, and hard money, finding the third fellow, not wanting him to be ashamed of being in such company



Otho, Denarius - Denarius minted in Rome in 69 AD
IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, Bare head of Otho right
SECURITAS PR, Securitas standing left
3.50 gr
Ref : RIC # 8, RCV #2162, Cohen #17



Vitellius, Denarius - Rome mint, July - December 20, AD69
A VITELLIVS GERMAN IMP TR P, Laureate head of Vitellius right
XV VIR SACR FAC, Tripod-lebes with dolphin lying right on top and raven standing right below
3.43 gr, 16-18 mm
Ref : RCV # 2201var, Cohen cf # 110 et suiv, RIC I # 86 (this example illustrated in Wildwinds)

Q