And what better way to do so than to start off the year with a very common Vespasian bronze. I wonder how many wine bars, baths, and brothels this As has seen? Vespasian Æ As, 11.90g Rome mint, 76 AD Obv: IMP CAESAR VESP AVG COS VII; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: S C in field; Spes stg. l., holding flower RIC 894 (C2). BMC 725. BNC 757. Acquired from eBay, December 2019. This Spes As is considered by RIC (p. 51) to be the single most common bronze coin struck for Vespasian. Oddly enough, the frequency rating in the catalogue of 'very common' is a notch below the 'extremely common' rating reserved for the most common types. Spes was a popular reverse type under Vespasian, connected to future dynastic hope and harmony. Note the classic 'straining' portrait for which Vespasian is well known for. Pleb out with me, show us your common, mucky coins.
Probably the most common of all Vespasian's denarii C3! IMP CAES VESP AVG CENS Laureate head of Vespasian right PONTIF MAXIM Vespasian seated right holding scepter and branch Rome 73 AD RIC 546 (C3), Sear 2308 3.36g
Nice addition! Here is one of the most common denarii types of Vespasian. Vespasian 69-79 AR Denarius struck January-June 70 3,46g/18mm IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG laureate head right. COS ITER TR POT Pax seated left, holding branch and caduceus. Ric 29
This guy got around... Augustus As four countermarks 25-23 mm 9.8g TICA AVG probably for Tiberius Augustus CE14-37 Dolphin
When it comes to rating rarity of denarii, many of us value the count of examples reported in Mouchmov's report on the massive Reka Devnia hoard published in 1934. 81044 coins identified by Cohen numbers were listed. Coins with zero examples are generally very rare while those with under ten might be called scarce if from the second or third centuries AD when the hoard is most accurate. Most common of Septimius Severus with 244 examples in the hoard shows the emperor standing with RESTITVTOR VRBIS (Cohen 599). The hoard was weak in the early years so the numbers are less meaningful in the first century so we can not compare, for example, Septimius to Nero. Trivia: I have never seen the question discussed but it seems obvious to ask what is the most common type of denarius in the Reka Devnia hoard. I scanned it quickly and may have missed some but was surprised to find the most common and the runner up were both coins of women. With a count of 547 coins, we have Julia Maesa / Pudicitia: This is deceptive since most women had fewer different types than the men so the total number was divided by fewer types. Maesa only had 1141 coins in the hoard compared to 7000+ for a few of the men but hers were only of a few types.
Antoniniani of Gordian III are so common that some of us here call them cockroaches. But which is the most common cockroach? This is by no means conclusive, but I thought it'd be fun to search "gordian iii antoninianus" on the OCRE webpage. The results yielded 173 different entries, with RIC IV Gordian III 84 taking the prize by having the most number of examples, 55, shown in OCRE's database. I note with some dismay that I've somehow managed to collect five examples of it myself. I do like this one very much, though... GORDIAN III AR Antoninianus. 3.96g, 22mm. Rome mint, AD 241-243. RIC IV 84. O: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right. R: IOVI STATORI, Jupiter, nude, standing front, head left, holding long sceptre in right hand and thunderbolt in left hand.
Vespasian (A.D. 69-79) Billon Tetradrachm of Alexandria, Egypt. 26mm 11.98 grams Obverse: Laureate bust right, LB in front (Year 2, 69-70 A.D.) AYTOK KAIΣ ΣEBA OYVEΣΠAΣIANOY Reverse: Nike Advancing Left, holding wreath and palm branch Reference: RPC 2412, Koln 276, Milne 393, BMCGr 236, Emmet 205.2, Dattari 360
That one is indeed extremely common, but I think the Pax denarius struck in 75 is also a strong candidate for the most common of Vespasian's denarii. Vespasian AR Denarius, 3.40g Rome Mint, 75 AD Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: PON MAX TR P COS VI; Pax, bare to the waist, seated l., holding branch extended in r. hand, l. hand on lap RIC 772 (C3). BMC 161. RSC 366. BNC 139. Acquired from Old Roman Coins, March 2003.
Pleba palease! Great way to kick off the new year @David Atherton. Here's a few of my Augustas that have been passed around more than (insert recent sultry film actress name here):
Yes I got one of those. Vespasian As 74 A.D. Obv. Head left laureate. Rv Spes standing left. RIC 730 8.71 grms 26 mm
