Nerva sestertius RIC 108 of AD 98 probably very rare

[Charles S]

I have uploaded a picture and details of a Nerva sestertius from my collection which I now believe to be very rare (see https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-119499).

Æ Sestertius (26.2g, Ø 34mm, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 98.
Obv.: IMP NERVA CAES AVG GERM P M TR P II, laureate head of Nerva right.
Rev.: IMP II [COS] IIII P P around, S C in field, Clasped hands holding legionary eagle set on prow.

I spent a bit more time than usual trying to attribute this coin correctly amongst others due to an error in RIC.  In RIC vol II, p.230, the RIC numbers 105 to 108, dated AD 98 are listed under the rev. legend IMP II COS III P P, which should be ... COS IIII ..  Strange that this obvious error is not in the list of Corrigenda (p. XIV-XVI).

My example is not listed in Cohen nor in BMCRE: in fact a BMCRE note (III p.27 ‡) contradicts the RIC 108 reference that a specimen is in the B.M.   I did find a record of it in Banti (I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali II-1) 27 with a single specimen only (struck from different dies compared to my specimen).

With no examples in Wildwinds nor ACSearch I must conclude that this is an extremely rare issue.  Perhaps this is also the case for the other issues with COS IIII ?

Regards,
Charles

[curtislclay]

What source does Banti quote? If a sale catalogue from before 1926, perhaps that same coin was also the source of RIC 108, which RIC erroneously said was in BM.

In my BMC I wrote in another specimen, from the same dies as yours: NAC K, 30 March 2000, lot 1719.

Nerva's COS IIII only lasted from 1 Jan. 98 until he died four weeks later on 28 Jan., so one would expect coins so dated to be rare.

The denarii, however, are surprisingly obtainable, turning up at least several times every year. Reka Devnia numbers for five different types: 1, 2, 4, 6, 2. The only type not in RD was Clasped hands before standard on prow, as on your sestertius.

Middle bronzes appear to be rarer, but do turn up now and again.

Sestertii rarely seem to appear on the market. However, two of the types were surprisingly well represented in the Garonne hoard: 4 examples with Libertas and three witn Pax seated.

[Charles S]

Thank you Curtis for your very informative response.

The source cited by Banti for Nerva 27 is: "Collezione Gnecchi" (= Museo delle Terme - Roma).  No date.

Regards
Charles

[curtislclay]

Probably Gnecchi had published the coin in one of his numerous articles on unpublished pieces in his collection. That could be the correct source of RIC 108.