David Atherton

I'll go against the grain and post a coin which should have an owl but does not! https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=158363

RC, you're a collector after my own heart. Getting into the weeds of a particular coinage is what i love. We are kindred spirits. Great interview @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix!

Bravo! You have to have a keen eye to spot this rarity!

I've mentioned before how scarce Vespasianic sestertii become as the reign rolls forward. After the massive sestertius issue of 71 the Rome mint struck the denomination less and less. By 73 a 'common' sestertius Pax type can be considered rare ... such is the case with my latest addition. Titus as Caesar [Vespasian] Æ Sestertius, 26.55g Rome mint, 73 AD Obv: T CAES VESP IMP PON TR POT COS II CENS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: PAX AVGVSTI; S C in field; Pax stg. l., with branch and cornucopiae RIC 608 (R2). BMC 667A. BNC -. EX Harlan J Berk BBS 225, 30 November 2023, lot 42. Ex Curtis Clay Collection. Ex CNG E139, 10 May 2006, lot 284. A rare Pax sestertius variety struck for Titus Caesar in 73 when he and Vespasian held the joint censorship. Pax is seen here holding a cornucopiae symbolising the emperor's gift of peace and prosperity to the empire. Missing from the Paris collection. In hand. Although this is a rare variety, it was the portrait that initially attracted me. A fine example of early Flavian portraiture. As always, thank you for looking!

Great coins in this thread from one of my favourite provincial mints! This is my favourite coin from Alexandria. Domitian Æ Hemidrachm, 12.15g Alexandria mint, 92-93 AD Obv: ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΘƐΟ(Υ) ΥΙΟϹ ΔΟΜΙΤ ϹƐΒ ΓƐΡΜ; Head of Domitian, laureate, l. Rev: LΙΒ; Pharos RPC 2677 (0 spec.). Emmett 273f.12. Dattari-Savio 6784. Ex CNG eAuction 484, 27 January 2021, lot 559.

Could be either RIC 77 (COS VII DES VIII) or RIC 104 (COS VIII DES VIIII). I can't read the reverse legend from the photo, perhaps in hand you can see a bit more to figure out which RIC number it is?

Wow! Plate coin perfect!

Fantastic addition! Glad you got one of these!

Exquisite examples to say the least! I suspect they are being sold as a pair because they are two different varities: the first is from Titus' reign, the second a Divus Titus type struck very early in Domitian's reign using the same obverse die. Excellent write-up about your visit!

So, that's what it's like to step out of your specialty...very nice!

Sestertii struck for Domitian Caesar are not rare ... unless they were struck under Vespasian! And one could be forgiven for thinking this Pax reverse is a yawner. In many respects this coin is deceptively rare. Domitian as Caesar [Vespasian] Æ Sestertius, 27.15g Rome mint, 76-77 AD Obv: CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS COS IIII; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: PAX AVGVSTI; S C in field; Pax stg. l., with branch and cornucopiae RIC 925 (R2). BMC -. BNC -. Ex Harlan J Berk BBS 225, 30 November 2023, lot 69. Ex Curtis Clay Collection. Ex Pagan, Yahoo!, 26 March 2003. Domitian Caesar's sestertii under Vespasian are exceedingly rare. This Pax type struck in either 76 or early 77 is missing from both the BM and Paris collections. Nice bold portrait in fine style. It's a beautiful coin in hand. Please share your own 'deceptively' rare coins. As always, thank you for looking and watching!

I wonder if the restrictions work the other way round?

Someday when I get around to putting it together, that Germania Capta denarius would have to be placed somewhere in my Top Ten Coins of all time. For fun I thought about doing a Top 100 Flavian coins list à la Harlan Berk's 100 Greatest Ancient Coins. Or I can go the easy route à la Casey Kasem and do a Flavian Top 40. 🙂

It's been a wild strange ride!

Thanks TC! My gallery is a blessing and a curse - a blessing because it easily tells ME what I already have; a curse because it shows others the rarities I don't! But I'll take it as a compliment if I'm missing something you know to snatch it up! LOL

Forvm's galleries are only as good as the info and attributions the member's add to it. Unfortunately it is far from consistent! Even entry titles are all over the map.

Martin, your gallery was one I used as a template for my own. It's been a specialist inspiration for many years!

Indeed! By my calculations I'm a little over 1/5 of the way through the coinage. There is enough left to keep me busy for a minute!

I couldn't help but add this very handsome piece, which again shows the Flavian Rome mint's love for Galba! Previously, a couple of weeks ago, I posted another Vespasian sestertius with a Galba reverse die. Vespasian Æ Sestertius, 23.43g Rome mint, 71 AD Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG P M T P P P COS III; Bust of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: RO-MA across field; S C in field; Roma stg. r., with Victory and spear RIC 102 (R2). BMC -. BNC -. Ex Harlan J Berk BBS 225, 30 November 2023, lot 6. Ex Curtis Clay Collection. Ex Heidelberger Münzhandlung Herbert Grün e.K Auction 32, 5 May 2001, lot 552. An early Vespasian sestertius from 71 featuring a fine style idealised portrait paired with a reverse die recycled from Galba's reign. All of the coins from this first sestertius issue of 71 are rare with most being monumental in design. Missing from both the BM and Paris collections. RIC cites one specimen from Oxford. In hand. As always, thank you for looking!

Utterly fantastic. One of the few coins outside my collecting niche I'm very envious of!

With silver it will be difficult to add much more due to the rarity of the missing varieties from my collection. Bronze is more wide open because there are so many varieties and types available that I can only representatively add pieces - enough to give one a good idea about the character and make-up of the bronzes struck by the Flavians. There are probably @5000 Flavian coin varieties available, counting both imperial and provincials. I will have plenty of coins to chase that will keep me occupied for quite awhile! Regarding other collecting niches: I once considered collecting coins of Elagabalus, but have temporarily abandoned that for now ... perhaps someday.

You'll get more like-minded traffic in the forvm galleries than anywhere else. Plus, deleting an entry and reloading another photo with a different file name is indeed a cumbersome work-around, but at least it's an option.

Thanks everyone for the kind words! And thanks to @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix for giving me a chance to talk about myself!

I love Forvm's galleries and have had mine up since 2004! However, I totally agree that not being able to change the picture is frustrating!! It's the gallery's one major drawback. I just learned to accept it.

Yes, likely handed out as souvenirs, but later used as currency. The alternative is they were struck as currency to commemorate the opening games and of course circulated as such!