|
RIC 1489 Domitian as Caesar [Vespasian]
|
AR Denarius, 2.82g
Ephesus (?) mint, 76 AD
Obv: CAES AVG F DOMIT COS III; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r., 'o' mint mark below neck
Rev: PRINCEPS IVVENTVT; Spes, draped, advancing l., holding up flower in r. hand and with l. holding up her skirt.
RIC 1489 (R2). BMC 481. BNC -. RPC 1462 (1 spec.). RSC 575a.
Acquired from eBay, April 2022.
A mysterious eastern mint struck a spate of denarii in 76 which copied many contemporary types from Rome. Both RIC and RPC speculate it possibly could be Ephesus, citing a similar style with a previous Ephesian issue from 74 and the use of an annulet as a mint mark. The issue is extremely rare. This denarius copies the much more common Spes type contemporaneously struck at Rome for Domitian. These eastern denarii are often confused with the issues from Rome, however, they can be distinguished by their superior style and the annulet (if visible) below the bust.
Missing from the Paris collection.
|
|