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Vespasian-denarius ancient immitation
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IMI CAES VESP AVG PM COS IIII
laureate head right
PONTIF MAXIM
Vespasian seated right, holding scepter and branch.
2.59 g
18.8 mm
Rome
72-73 AD
RIC -; RSC 388; BMCRE p.12
Ex-Vcoins Auction, Ex-Imperial coins
Some insight why this may not be official from Curtis Clay:
1. For mint mules the obv. and rev. should belong to either the same issue or to immediately successive issues. But on Jay's coin the obv. is of 72-early 73 (COS IIII without CENS), but the PONTIF MAXIM rev. is not otherwise known with that COS IIII obv. legend, nor with the next legend with COS IIII CEN, nor with the legend after that with just CEN and still clockwise, but only with the third obv. legend thereafter, namely CEN but counterclockwise. That rev. type is probably of 74 AD, since at its last stage it occurs with a legend specifically dated to 74, PON MAX TR P COS V. Obv. of 72-early 73, rev. of 74: that's a combination that the official mint was unlikely to produce.
2. IMI for IMP in obv. legend, an error that an official engraver was unlikely to make.
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