Unpublished Titus Sestertius COTD

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Hello everyone.

The thing I love most about collecting is the discovery and acquisition of unpublished coins.

If then the coin in question is a sestertius, the satisfaction is total.

This is the case of this sestertius of Titus, struck immediately after the death of Vespasian and therefore belonging to its very first issue of sestertii, defined by the authors of RIC 2.1 as "Group 1".

This issue is characterized by the style, which follows that of the last issues of Vespasian, and by the unusual counterclockwise legend on the obverse.

This Group currently consists of only five types, all of them known in a single specimen: three are described in the volume published in 2007 (from number 55 to 57), one was subsequently recorded by the authors (emperor in quadriga), and finally this new coin of mine to which Ian Carradice has provisionally assigned the number 57A (as a result, the other unpublished sestertius becomes 57B).

I'm very glad to share it here

Alberto

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-157416

[Jay GT4]

First century Sestertii are wonderful to begin with and when it's Titus and rare it's icing on the cake!

[curtislclay]

Alberto,

A very rare and interesting series, which I have been interested in myself for decades!

You'll probably be interested to learn that I consider these sestertii to be the earliest issues of Titus' Thracian mint, rather than mint of Rome as Carradice and Buttrey say, following Kraay. See my arguments in Gemini IX, 2012, lot 448, which I have just reposted here on Forvm, under Roman Coins.

The picture leaves me a little doubtful whether your coin is of the first or second issue, COS VII or COS VIII. Is the reading COS VII certain on the coin itself? In such a rare issue it might well be possible to find another example from the same obv. die and with the consular number absolutely clear.

[FlaviusDomitianus]

First century Sestertii are wonderful to begin with and when it's Titus and rare it's icing on the cake!

Thanks Jay for your kind comment.

Alberto

[orfew]

A fantastic addition to your collection Alberto. Congrats!

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Alberto,

A very rare and interesting series, which I have been interested in myself for decades!

You'll probably be interested to learn that I consider these sestertii to be the earliest issues of Titus' Thracian mint, rather than mint of Rome as Carradice and Buttrey say, following Kraay. See my arguments in Gemini IX, 2012, lot 448, which I have just reposted here on Forvm, under Roman Coins.

The picture leaves me a little doubtful whether your coin is of the first or second issue, COS VII or COS VIII. Is the reading COS VII certain on the coin itself? In such a rare issue it might well be possible to find another example from the same obv. die and with the consular number absolutely clear.

Many thanks Curtis for sharing your auction notes about this sestertii: they are as always sharp and reasoned.

I have taken again a closer look at my new coin and, while I believe I can confirm the COS VII reading on the obverse, I have indeed noticed a certain flatness of the reverse.

I hope I don't say a nonsense if I add that even the sestertius of Domitian as Caesar on horseback (provisionally recorded as T 99A), which you yourself commented a few years ago (when it was posted here by the previous owner kc), has similar characteristics, except - of course - for the clockwise orientation of the obverse legend.

Alberto

[FlaviusDomitianus]

A fantastic addition to your collection Alberto. Congrats!

Thanks Andrew, you're very kind.

The coin sits well in my trays!

Alberto