Civil war denarius 68 AD

[Victrix]

Salve!

My coin collection mainly consists of roman military moving mints. They never fail to tickle my fantasy...did the soldier die and get looted, did he survive and got to spend it? Along many other questions. So many interesting events can be linked to these military denarii.

This coin in particular i'm very fond off. A denarius minted by the Rhine Legions. We do not know exactly when the Rhine legions began minting their own coins, althought it did occur at the latest with the victory at the battle of Vesontio and the subsequent open revolt of the legions against Nero. Characteristics for coins from the year 69 are military motifs, we find references to armies,the goddess of victory Victoria, the god of war Mars (in this case).

The questions regarding the mint or mints of the Rhine legions can hardly be resolved. Cologne or the large legionary camps have been suggested,but even less than in the case of Galba can the extensive campaigns of the Rhine legions in 68 be assumed to have relied on monetary supply from a single, permanent mint.

The documented die matches between the denarii in good silver and plated coins clearly show that subaerati are not ancient forgeries,but official pieces. Evidently, silver was scarce on the Rhine frontier,which,given the lack of nearby mines and sudden need to keep tens of thousands of soldiers content with local resources cannot be surprising. The infrastructure of the Germanic Provinces was,for good reasons,not designed for this purpose.

Archeological find maps attest to concentrations of anonymous coins both in the Rhine hinterland and in Gaul, a circumstance that has contributed to assigning them to different warring parties. However it seems much more plausible to relate the distribution of finds to the numerous campaigns of the Rhine armies in 68 and 69, during which troop movements between sites on the Rhine, central and southern Gaul, the Alpine region and northern Italy are frequently attested.

Please share any civil war denarii or year of 4 emperors coins you may have!  😄

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by Victrix

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Very nice!  I have no anonymous civil war types.

The only photographed Vitellius:

RS38190. Silver denarius, RIC I 6, BMCRE I 85, Fair, Spain, Tarraco mint, weight 2.384g, maximum diameter 18.0mm, die axis 180o, 69 A.D.; obverse A VITELLIVS IMP GERMANICVS, laureate head left, globe at point of bust; reverse CONSENSVS EXERCITVVM, Mars advancing left, holding aquila and vexillum.  Ex Forum, 2009.

[Ryro]

Very cool coin from a very unstable time period!

Here's my unstable coin from this time:

CIVIL WAR, 68-69 CE,
Denarius, fouree, Mint in Southern Gaul, Forces of Vitellius in Gaul and in the Rhine Valley. Anonymous, 2 January-19 April 69. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 2.5 g, 4 h), Lugdunum. 'Jupiter-Vesta Group'. VESTA P R QVIRITIVM Veiled, diademed and draped bust of Vesta to right; before, burning torch. Rev. I O MAX CAPITOLI-NVS The Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus on the Capitoline Hill: distyle temple with wreath in pediment and acroteria in the form of aphlasta; within, statue of Jupiter seated left, holding thunderbolt in his right hand and scepter in his left. BMC 70. CG 15.8. Cohen 368. Martin 13. Nicolas 15. RIC 128. Rare and of great numismatic interest. Frank Robinson’s notes “F or so BUT much patchy core exposure, somewhat off-ctr, lgnds crude & partly off; bust clear; but pretty ugly. Or, as a certain deity would say, "A beautiful coin, folks, believe me, a beautiful coin, I can tell you that." But Very rare.

Ex: Frank Robinson

[Jims,Coins]

Silver Coin (AR Denarius) minted at Rome during the reign of GALBA between 68 - 69 A.D. Obv. SER.GALBA.CAESAR.AVG. Bare hd. cuir. bust r. Rev. DIVA.AVGVSTA.: Livia, dr., stg. l., holding patera, l. vertical sceptre. RCS #719. RSCII #47 pg.19. RICI #143 pg.240. DVM #7 pg.92.

 

Silver Coin (AR Denarius) minted during the reign of OTHO in 69 A.D. Obv.IMP.M.OTHO.CAESAR.AVG.TR.P. Bare head r. Rev. SECVRITAS.P.R. Securitas stg. l., holding wreath and scepter. (another type publicizing the advantages of peace, in conjunction with the negotiations with Vitellius.

Silver Coin (AR Denarius) minted at Rome during the reign of VITELLIUS after July 69 A.D. Obv. A.VITELLIVS.GERM.IMP.AVG.TR.P. laurel. hd. r. Rev. CONCORDIA.P.R.: Concordia, dr., std. l., r. holding patera l. cornucopia. RCS #752. RSCII #18 pg.35. RIC #90 pg.272. DVM #3a pg.96.

[Alegandron]

I always enjoy tossing Vindex into the lineup. He started the kill-off of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty...


RI
Civil War
VINDEX 68-69 CE
AR Denarius 3.22g
Gallic mint
SALVS GENERIS HVMANI Victory l globe -
SPQR in wreath
RIC 72 BMCRE 34-36 RSC 420



RI
Civil War
Revolt of Vindex
CE 68-69
AR Denarius
ROMA RESTITVTA -
IVPITER LIBERATOR Jupiter seated r Tbolt Scepter
17mm 3.02g
RIC I 62 RSC 374

Edited April 1, 2023 by Alegandron

[Alegandron]

NERO


RI Poppea-Nero BI tetradrachm of Alexandria LI yr10 63-64 CE Milne 217 RPC 5275


GALBA

RI GALBA 68-69 BCE AR Quinarius Lugdunum mint laureate r Victory globe stdng left 15mm 1.5g RIC 131 scarce


- The Epilated One:

OTHO


RI Otho 69 CE BI AR Tet 23mm Egypt Helmeted Roma Emmet 186


- NOT a Soldier, but the luck of an Army at the right place and time:

VITELLIUS


RI Vitellius 69 CE AR Denarius Pont Max Vesta Seated


- A new kind of Emperor, not an "entitled" Patrician:

VESPASIAN

RI Vespasian 69-79 CE AR Quinarius Victory seated wreath palm RIC 802 Rare

[John Conduitt]

Galba Denarius, 68-69

Rome. Silver, 16x17mm, 3.03g. Bare head of Galba right; IMP SER GALBA AVG. Oak wreath, S P Q R, OB C S (RIC I, 167). From the Westbury Sub Mendip (Somerset) Hoard 2016, Portable Antiquities Scheme: SOM-F1847A.

Vitellius Denarius, 69

Rome. Silver, 18x20mm, 3.08g. Laureate head right; A VITELLIVS GERMAN IMP TR P. Victory seated left, holding patera in right hand and palm branch in left; no legend (RIC I, 88). From the Westbury Sub Mendip (Somerset) Hoard 2016, Portable Antiquities Scheme: SOM-F1847A.

[Marsyas Mike]

Interesting post and coins, @Victrix.  I have two civil war types, but they not denarii, but both countermarked AEs.  

This one has an SPQR (blurrily) stamped on an as of Nero:

Nero / Vindex Rebellion    Æ As (62-68 A.D.) (C/M March-June 68 A.D.) Lugdunum Mint NER[O C]L[AVD CAESA]R AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P  bare head right, globe at neck / S C, Victory winged moving left, holding shield inscribed SPQR. RIC I 477; WCN 574; Lyon 150. (9.95 grams / 28 x 27 mm) eBay May 2022 Countermark: SPQR in rectangular punch (5 x 3 mm) Pangerl 26 or 27.  

"...these countermarks were applied by Gallic rebels circa 68 A.D., under the command of rebel governor Gaius Julius Vindex (who) swore allegiance to Galba... Interestingly, all of these civil war countermarks appear in the same location, directly across Nero's neck." Vcoins Incitatus listing

Here is GALBA (in Greek), also on an as of Nero 

Nero / Galba  Æ As (63 A.D.; c/m 69 A.D.) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS, laureate head right / [GENIO AVGVSTI], Genius, naked to waist, standing half-left, holding cornucopiae, [altar left].  RIC 125  Countermark: ΓAΛBΛ (GALBA in Greek) Howgego GIC 526  (9.77 grams / 27 mm) eBay May 2018  

Galba Countermarks: "GALBA in Greek Letters (Martini Pangerl Collection 92). This countermark occurs also on Provincial coins and is Howgego as GIC 526. (These) coins are in the grey zone between official coins (so called Thrakian mint) and provincial coins of the Balkan region" (Museum of Roman CM)

 

[Limes]

Thanks for sharing your coin, and the information. Would you happen to have a link to the die studie / archelogical find spots you mentioned? I'd be interested to read up on that (when I'll have the time for it, one day...)

Below you may find my type. My MARS shows the 'pointy beard' and the legend is omitted on the obverse. Yours is RIC 51 (you of course already know that), which RIC describes as 'Common' which I find remarkable! 

[Alegandron]

6 hours ago, Limes said:

Thanks for sharing your coin, and the information. Would you happen to have a link to the die studie / archelogical find spots you mentioned? I'd be interested to read up on that (when I'll have the time for it, one day...)

Below you may find my type. My MARS shows the 'pointy beard' and the legend is omitted on the obverse. Yours is RIC 51 (you of course already know that), which RIC describes as 'Common' which I find remarkable! 

Great coin!