RIC 1501 Vespasian

Æ27, 10.94g
Ephesus (?) mint, 77-78 AD
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIAN AVGVSTVS; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: PONT MAX TR POT P P COS VIII CENS; S C in field; Jupiter stg. l., with thunderbolt and sceptre
RIC 1501 (R2). BMC 893. BNC -. RPC 1474 (1 spec.).
Ex Harlan J Berk BBS 225, 30 November 2023, lot 91. Ex Curtis Clay Collection. Ex Leu E17, Pt. 2, 15 August 2021, lot 2361.

Late in Vespasian's reign an exceedingly rare series of orichalcum bronze coins were struck in Asia Minor at an unknown mint. Although imperial in appearance, the style, weight system, and metal used all point to a mint other than Rome. Due to their extreme rarity today, they could not have been struck for any great length of time (the date cannot be narrowed down any further than Vespasian's COS VIII, 77-78 AD). The types consist of ones variously copied from either Rome or local provincial issues. A stylistic similarity with the earlier 'o' mint denarii possibly struck at Ephesus has been noted by both RIC and RPC. This Jupiter standing type may have been intended to circulate as a dupondius (BMCRE attributes it as such).