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Vespasian Denarius 69-79 CE

Yes, this is yet another denarius of Vespasian. I like his coins for the variety they offer. There are many interesting reverses on his coinage. this one has an exceptional portrait. You might notice a difference in the portrait style of the denarius when compared to other denarii of Vespasian. This coin was minted in Ephesus. Apparently, the engravers that worked in that mint included some masters of the art. Compare the portrait style to the Rome mint denarii I posted earlier on this blog.

The other interesting thing abut this coin is the reverse. It only has very simple design elements, the wreath and the title AVG forAugustus. Yet there is a real elegance to this reverse for all of its simplicity. There are other Vespasian denarii with this reverse, but my example is one of the rare examples.

As long as there are interesting and artistic example such as this one, I will continue to add Vespasian's denarii to my collection.

Roman Empire, Vespasian 69-79, Denarius,

(17.49 mm 3.24g)

Obv: Laureate head of Vespasian right "IMP CAESAR VESPAS AVG COS II TRPPP" Rev: "AVG" within an wreath, Phi-Alpha monogram above ties. "AVG" in the center. RIC 1414. Ephesos mint, Some roughness on the reverse.

Ex Savoca Auction #9, lot 533 8/21/16

Lot 152 Aegean Nuismatics Agora Auctions July 20. 2017.

Coin depicted in the Wildwinds.com database

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