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F
ABULOUS
H
IGH
Q
UALITY
D
ENARIUS OF
O
THO
, AD 69
Enlargement
1980
Otho, AD 69-69. Silver Denarius (3.48g)
.
Struck at Rome, March-April, AD 69.
Bare head of Otho facing right.
Reverse:
Vesta seated left,
holding patera and sceptre. RIC 24; RSC 7; Sear 2161. Boldly struck on a nice broad flan with full and complete legends. A remarkablely
choice example as most found are on short flans.
NGC grade Choice XF; Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5.
Estimated Value ..................................................................................................................................................................... $5,000-UP
V
ERY
R
ARE
C
IVIL
W
ARS
S
ILVER
D
ENARIUS
, AD 68-69
Enlargement
1981
Civil Wars. Silver Denarius (3.36 g), AD 68-69
. Uncertain mint in Southern Gaul, ca. AD 69. I O M CAPITOLINVS, diademed and heroic
bust of Jupiter Capitolinus left, small branch before, with slight mantle showing on near shoulder.
Reverse:
VESTA P R QVIRITIVM, Vesta
seated left, holding patera and torch. RIC 125a; AM 96; BMC 72; RSC 432.
Very Rare.
Attractively toned.
Choice Very Fine
.
This interesting Civil War type was struck for Vitellius, perhaps by his commander Fabius Valens, in southern Gaul shortly before the First Bat-
tle of Bedriacum, which saw the annihilation of Otho' s forces in mid-April, AD 69. The figure of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Capitolinus invokes
the invincible might of Rome, while the figure of Vesta, who was the goddess of the Rome' s sacred hearth, symbolizes the Empire' s perma-
nence. Coincidentally, the only priestly college in Rome with full-time acolytes was the order of Vestal Virgins, whose duty it was to keep
Vesta' s flame continuously alight.
Although all Civil War coinage of AD 68-69 is rare today, it was originally struck on a vast scale in order to pay for the wartime expenses of
various imperial contenders during this tumultuous period. The types are all anonymous in that they do not portray any of the figures
involved, although one issue probably struck under Galba does indeed show the portrait of the deified emperor Augustus.
Estimated Value ............................................................................................................................................................... $3,000 - 4,000
Tom Peterson collection; Private purchase from Tom Cederline
.
1982
Vitellius. Silver Denarius (3.25 g), AD 69
. Rome. A VITEL-
LIVS GERM IMP AVG TR P, laureate head of Vitellius right.
Reverse:
PONT MAXIM, Vesta seated right, holding patera and
scepter. RIC 107; BMC 34; RSC 72. Lightly toned with complete
legends.
Choice Very Fine
.
Estimated Value ................................................... $600 - 700