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Home > Members' Coin Collection Galleries > David Atherton > 1. The Reign of Vespasian - Imperial Coins
RIC 0111 Vespasian
Æ Sestertius, 26.55g
Rome mint, 71 AD
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG P M T P P P COS III; Bust of Vespasian, laureate, draped, r.
Rev: SALVS AVGVSTA; S C in exergue; Salus std. l., with patera and sceptre
RIC 111 (R2). BMC -. BNC -.
Ex Harlan J Berk BBS 225, 30 November 2023, lot 7. Ex Curtis Clay Collection. Ex Tom Cederlind.

An extremely rare sestertius struck for Vespasian between January and March 71. Curtis Clay had this to say about the piece which I cannot improve upon: 

'Kraay in his illuminating Oxford dissertation, summarized in the new RIC, p. 22, established that Vespasian's sestertii of 71 (COS III) fall into three successive groups marked by progressive abbreviations of the emperor's name, and he suggested the following dates for the groups: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG P M T P P P COS III: Jan.-March/April 71; Same but VESPASIAN and TR P for T P: March/April-July/August 71; Same but VESPAS: July/August-Dec. 71. The reverse SALVS AVGVSTA S C occurs mainly in the third and latest issue of the year. In the earlier groups this type is very rare. Obv. VESPASIANVS, with bust laureate and draped; the bust types and portrait features are much more varied in this early group than in the two later ones.  Rev. SALVS AVGVSTA S C, from the only die known for this type in the VESPASIANVS issue.  Kraay discovered that this is actually a rev. die of Galba's, engraved and used by Galba in 68 (Kraay's P 61), now reused by Vespasian about 2 1/2 years later!'

An utterly fantastic piece! RIC describes many of the sestertii from this issue as 'monumental', I think the above coin fits that description perfectly. Missing from the BM and Paris collections.

RIC 0111 Vespasian

Æ Sestertius, 26.55g
Rome mint, 71 AD
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG P M T P P P COS III; Bust of Vespasian, laureate, draped, r.
Rev: SALVS AVGVSTA; S C in exergue; Salus std. l., with patera and sceptre
RIC 111 (R2). BMC -. BNC -.
Ex Harlan J Berk BBS 225, 30 November 2023, lot 7. Ex Curtis Clay Collection. Ex Tom Cederlind.

An extremely rare sestertius struck for Vespasian between January and March 71. Curtis Clay had this to say about the piece which I cannot improve upon:

'Kraay in his illuminating Oxford dissertation, summarized in the new RIC, p. 22, established that Vespasian's sestertii of 71 (COS III) fall into three successive groups marked by progressive abbreviations of the emperor's name, and he suggested the following dates for the groups: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG P M T P P P COS III: Jan.-March/April 71; Same but VESPASIAN and TR P for T P: March/April-July/August 71; Same but VESPAS: July/August-Dec. 71. The reverse SALVS AVGVSTA S C occurs mainly in the third and latest issue of the year. In the earlier groups this type is very rare. Obv. VESPASIANVS, with bust laureate and draped; the bust types and portrait features are much more varied in this early group than in the two later ones. Rev. SALVS AVGVSTA S C, from the only die known for this type in the VESPASIANVS issue. Kraay discovered that this is actually a rev. die of Galba's, engraved and used by Galba in 68 (Kraay's P 61), now reused by Vespasian about 2 1/2 years later!'

An utterly fantastic piece! RIC describes many of the sestertii from this issue as 'monumental', I think the above coin fits that description perfectly. Missing from the BM and Paris collections.

File information
Filename:V111.jpg
Album name:David Atherton / 1. The Reign of Vespasian - Imperial Coins
Filesize:819 KiB
Date added:Oct 23, 2023
Dimensions:1202 x 601 pixels
Displayed:61 times
URL:https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=184684
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Comment 1 to 7 of 7
Page: 1

Dirk J   [Oct 23, 2023 at 11:36 AM]
A truly magnificent piece. Congratulations and nice to see that it has found a suitable home. Very Happy
Jay GT4   [Oct 24, 2023 at 02:44 AM]
This is a great historic piece!
ancientdave   [Oct 25, 2023 at 02:11 AM]
Wow! Such a rare, early piece. I love the style of that portrait!
vindelicus   [Oct 26, 2023 at 05:08 AM]
Great coin.
Pharsalos   [Oct 29, 2023 at 12:42 AM]
Impressive and important, awesome coin.
Virgil H   [Oct 31, 2023 at 04:06 PM]
Beautiful
gb29400   [Nov 19, 2023 at 07:55 AM]
great !!!! Surprised

Comment 1 to 7 of 7
Page: 1

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