YEAR OF THE FOUR..(with a Nero kicker)

Denarii from the 1st major crises of empirical procession (this was avoided earlier with Claudius) bringing an end to the Julio-Claudian line, creating a vacuum effect causing strife and civil wars in the lands, also giving rise to Davids favorite dynasty, the Flavians..

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One of the (numerous) key periods of the Empire


Nero, Denarius - Rome mint, AD 64/65
NERO CAESAR, laureate head of Nero right
AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS, Nero standing facing, holding branch and victory on globe
3,32 gr
Ref : RCV #1941, Cohen #45, RIC # 47
The following comment, from NFA, auction XX catalog, # 118 :
Nero's coinage reform of A.D. 64 saw a reduction in the weight standard of both the aureus and denarius denominations. A whole new range of reverse types was introduced with an unmistakably imperial flavor, in marked contrast to the senatorial types of the pre-reform coinage. This coin depicts a standing figure of the emperor, wearing the radiate crown of the sun god Sol, holding a branch of peace and a small figure of Victory. An allusion to the settlement of the Parthian question, following Corbulo's successes in Armenia in A.D. 63, seems unmistakable. It is tempting to identify this reverse type with the statue of the sun god, with the facial features of the emperor, erected by Nero in front of his Domus Aurea (Golden House), which was one of the principal features of the reconstruction following the Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 64. The Flavian Amphitheatre (Colosseum) was later erected on the site of the Domus Aurea's ornamental lake, and received its popular name from its close proximity to Nero's statue



Galba, As - Rome mint AD 68
SER GALBA IMP CAESAR AVG PON M TR PPP, Laureate head of Galba right
Rome seated left, SC in field
10,60 gr
Ref : Cohen #182



Otho, Denarius - Rome mint, AD 69
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)



Vespasian, Denarius - Rome mint, AD 72-73
IMP CAES VESP A VG PM COS IIII, laureate head right
CONCORDIA AVGVSTI, Concordia seated left on throne, holding patera and cornucopia
3.37 gr
Ref : RSC # 74

Q

 

All five are also available as Provincials.

Nero AE15 Magnesia ad Sipylum / head of Senate


Galba Alexandria tetradrachm / Roma head



Otho Antioch tetradrachm


Vitellius - I said they exist but I did not say I have one. Share yours.

Vespasian AE22 Philadelphia / Zeus


We hear a lot about sets of 12 Caesars and all emperors. Who is working on a set limited to Provincials? There are some really rough ones but the sets are possible through the First Tetrarchy after which Provincials were discontinued. Is anyone here working on that set?

 

Nice group! You have some nicely toned examples there.

I can only contribute a Vespasian masquerading as Vitellius (or is it a Vitellius masquerading as Vespasian?).


Vespasian
AR Denarius, 2.82g
Rome Mint, January - June 70 AD
RIC 21 (C). BMC 17. RSC 94a.
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: COS ITER TR POT; Aequitas, draped, standing l., holding scales in r. hand, transverse rod in l.

 

As a matter of fact...I am. I only have 2 of the 12 so far but I pick them up when I can. I thought about restricting it to tets of Alexandria but that might be too restrictive.

 

I want to see the Caligula if you go this route. There are bronzes attributed to his time with several ???? but no portrait coins of silver that I ave seen.

 

I don't think there's a provincial portrait of Julius Caesar. Some others might be missing as well.

 

I will be going for the set in bronze. The Caligula might be tough...but possible.

 

There is but for him as divvs. It is also not Alexandria but I might have to settle for any provincials I can get for some of the rulers.
Octavian and Divvs Julius Caesar
(27 CBE- 14 CE)
Macedon. Thessalonique
19 mm 8.0 g
Obv: ΘECCAΛONIKEΩN
Bare head of Augustus
Rev: ΘEOC.
Bare head of Julius Caesar
RPC 1555
Ex: Numismatik Naumann Auction 66 Lot 269

 

How about a two-fer? Galba countermarked (in Greek) on a Nero AE:





Nero / Galba Æ As
(63 A.D.; c/m 69 A.D.)
NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS, laureate head right / [GENIO AVGVSTI], Genius, naked to waist, standing half-left, holding cornucopiae,
[altar left]. RIC 125
Countermark: ΓAΛBΛ (GALBA in Greek) Howgego GIC 526
(9.77 grams / 27 mm)

Galba Countermarks:
"GALBA in Greek Letters (Martini Pangerl Collection 92). This countermark occurs also on Provincial coins and is Howgego as GIC 526. (These) coins are in the grey zone between official coins (so called Thrakian mint) and provincial coins of the
Balkan region"
(Museum of Roman CM)

 

Neat, and, while I'm sure it can only be "ΓAΛBΛ", I'm not really seeing the Γ in there. Am I blind, or is it just hard to see?

 

*Raises hand* I'm working on an Antioch specific set, though I luck out that Vitellus didn't issue any coins from there, but Caligula's are very few (and silver... I'm trying to stay to bronze). Though I have considered finding a coin of another emperor with a Caligula countermark and using that to fill that hole.

In the coming days my plan is to start a thread stepping through each emperor for the province of Antioch and posting the coins from my collection for that emperor and asking others to do so too, with a cadence of every other day or so.

Anyways, that's my plan...

 

FREE THE GALBA!! Nice toning on that Vespasian. And I like the shot, with the other coins in the background. (Even if some are modern. )

I'm currently reading L. J. Trafford's "Four Emperors" series of historical novels about the period. They're fun! Fluffy but historically informed.

 

You are correct, that gamma is missing - I am assuming from a poor strike, or I have some sort of a counterfeit. I bought it from an undescribed lot on eBay for peanuts, and on my budget, I can only afford "Albas" not "Galbas"

 

Is this coin anything? It’s very round and has the number below the person so I feel like it’s not Roman, but with the person with the spear and shield only Roman stuff comes up.

 

Nero


Galba


Otho


Vitellius


Vespasian