129
Unusual High Quality Vitellius Denarius
3127
Vitellius. S lver enarius (3.30 g), AD 69.
Rome. A VITEL-
LIVS GERM IMP AVG TR P, laureate head of Vitellius right.
Reverse:
PONT MAXIM, Vesta, veiled, seated on throne right,
holding patera and scepter. RIC 107; BMC 34; RSC 72. Boldly
struck and well centered. Lovely old cabinet toning.
Superb Ex-
tremely Fine.
Vitellius was made Governor of Lower Germany by Galba.
When the legions became disaffected from Galba’s aus-
tere and strict rule, they renounced their allegiance to
him and hailed Vitellius as emperor. Vitellius at first refused
the imperial title, but he did take the name Germanicus
and pledged to lead the revolt. Shortly thereafter the prov-
inces of Britain, Gaul and Spain defected to him. Mean-
while in Rome Galba had been murdered and Otho in-
stalled as the new emperor by the Praetorian Guard.
Otho offered to share the emperorship with Vitellius, but the
latter, whose forces were already marching on Rome, re-
fused. A decisive engagement, the Battle of Bedriacum,
was fought between the two sides in the vicinity between
Cremona and Verona, and Vitellius’s forces were victori-
ous. Despite losing at Bedriacum, Otho perhaps could
still have won the war - he had the support of the formi-
dable legions of Dalmatia, Moesia and Pannonia, as well
as both the Praetorian Guard and the Roman fleet - but
instead chose to avoid civil war by committing suicide.
Once in Rome the Senate decreed Vitellius the usual impe-
rial honors. The historians Suetonius, Tacitus and Dio Cassius
do not record much positive about Vitellius’s short reign, but
he did implement some worthwhile and lasting changes
(for instance, he accepted equites into the offices of im-
perial administration whereas before they had been open
only to freedmen). Overall, though, his reign was irresolute,
and Vitellius himself is described as lazy and self-indulgent.
Estimated Value................................................... $7,000 - 8,000
3128
Vespasian. Silver Denarius (3.6 g), AD 69-79.
Ephesus,
AD 69/70. IMP CAES VESPAS AVG, laureate head of Ves-
pasian right.
Reverse:
PACI ORB TERR AVG, turreted and
draped female bust right; below,
Φ
horizontally. RIC 1407;
RPC 813; BMC 437; RSC 291. Rare. Boldly struck and well
defined with some luster present.
Superb Extremely Fine.
Estimated Value ..........................................$1,500 - 2,000
Ex Goldberg 70 (4-5 September 2012), 3240.
