RIC 1071 Vespasian

AR Quinarius, 1.55g
Rome mint, 79 AD
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS COS IX; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: VICTORY AVGVSTI; Victory adv. r., with wreath and palm
RIC 1071 (R2). BMC -. RSC -. BNC -.
Acquired from Numismeo, September 2021. Ex ALDE, 19 October 2016, lot 240.

Vespasianic quinarii are extremely rare, and none more so than those struck in 79. When the new RIC II.1 was published only one specimen was known residing in the Budapest collection. In 2016 the present coin came up for auction and later was cited by the RIC authors in the Addenda & Corrigenda as the second known example. Owing to their extreme rarity, it's likely these quinarii may have been struck just prior to Vespasian's death in June. Vespasian revived the quinarius after a long hiatus going back to the time of Augustus. Striking this denomination was quite in keeping with the antiquarian flavour of the Rome mint during his reign.