First Eastern Mints for Vespasian?

[David Atherton]

In the thread  'Les premières monnaies de Vespasien' I asked the following question and will ask it here too:

What were the first Eastern mints that struck for Vespasian in 69?

I have a BMCRE 435, obv - IMP CAES VESPAS AVG, rev - PACI AVGVSTAE, unknown Asia Minor mint, dated by The BMCRE to 69-70.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=241&pos=47
I always fancied it to be from 69.

[David Atherton]

...or if anyone has access to a copy of the RPC II and can give me the date it gives for the above coin, that would suffice.

I mainly use the BMCRE and RSC for my Flavian denarii attribution, but apparently when it comes to the provincial issues the BMCRE is some what out of date.

[curtislclay]

RPC II p. 125, this  section written by Metcalf:

"There are some undated coins which appear to precede those dated cos II, and it is possible that they were minted in late 69 or else early 70, but there is nothing to demonstrate striking in 69, and the date of 70 would be implied...if some of the reverse designs are derived from those used at Rome in that year."

p. 126:  "The designs of the heads and the standing figures of Titus and Domitian are the same as those used on the earliest coins of Rome (BMCRE 1, 6)."

The aureus BM 6, however, with FILI retrograde in rev. exergue, may itself be Eastern.

[David Atherton]

Thank you Curtis for the RPC information.

An odd situation that virtually no precious metal coinage was minted in the East during Vespasian's first six months (or at the least, very little evidence of any).

One would presume that most of the donatives promised to the Eastern Legions in 69 would be paid at a later date.