Not Your Average Aequitas As

[David Atherton]

For all intents and purposes this new purchase appears to be just an ordinary Aequitas as struck for Titus Caesar. Well, it is ... and it isn't. Unsurprisingly misattributed by the seller, allowing for a nice bargain.

 

 

Titus as Caesar [Vespasian]
Æ As, 11.57g
Rome mint, 72 AD
Obv: T CAES VESPAS IMP P TR P COS II; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: AEQVITAS AVGVST; S C in field; Aequitas stg. l., with scales and rod
RIC 415 (R2). BMC -. BNC -.
Acquired from Noble Roman Coins, April 2023.

One of the earliest bronze coins struck for Titus Caesar at Rome from an extremely rare issue of 72. Aequitas on Vespasian's coinage proclaims the honest administration of public finances and lapsed standards would be restored. Aequitas holding her scales and measuring rod was probably based on a cult image of the deity. The Aequitas type would later become quite common on the asses under Vespasian for all three Flavians. This is a scarce variety with reverse legend reading 'AVGVSTI'. Missing from both the BM and Paris collections. Only one specimen cited by RIC in Ljubljana.

 

In hand.

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to view the thread.

[expat]

Nice pick up. Video shows a lovely portrait and what a great patina the coin has.

[Roman Collector]

Nice coin, @David Atherton, with a lovely patina! It's always a plus to find a bargain-priced rarity. Here's my rarest AEQVITAS coin, one of the Antioch mint types struck by Trajan Decius.

Herennia Etruscilla, AD 249-253
Roman AR Antoninianus; 4.10 g, 23.3 mm, 5 h
Antioch, AD 250-251
Obv: HER ETRVSCILLA AVG, diademed and draped bust right on crescent, hair smooth and with a long plait carried up the back of the head (Sear type b; Temeryazev and Makarenko type 2)
Rev: AEQVITAS AVGG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae
Refs: RIC 64; RSC 3d; RCV 9491; CRE 540; Hunter p. xcix.

[Hughie Dwyer]

Lovely coin! Nice one!

Here is my Aequitas coin.

[David Atherton]

Thank you guys for showing your Aequitas coins! Quite interesting to see how little the type changed over the centuries, which goes some ways to backing up my claim it was based on a cult image.

[Marsyas Mike]

Lovely coin, @David Atherton

This is pitiful, and I could be wrong, but I think I have an example of the OP (RIC 414 or 415?).  The "T CAES..." is clear, and I based the attribution on the reverse figure's arms.  It came in a lot of unattributed junky stuff in an eBay lot that worked out to a dollar each.  

Titus   Æ As (72 A.D.) Rome Mint T CAES VESPAS IMP [P TR P COS] II, laureate head right / AEQVITAS AVGVST [I?] S C Aequitas standing left, holding scales and rod RIC 414 (AVGVST) or RIC 415 (AVGVSTI) (7.68 grams / 25 mm) eBay Oct. 2019      Lot @ $1.00

[expat]

The only Aeqvitas i have, late 3rd century

[David Atherton]

7 hours ago, Marsyas Mike said:

Lovely coin, @David Atherton

This is pitiful, and I could be wrong, but I think I have an example of the OP (RIC 414 or 415?).  The "T CAES..." is clear, and I based the attribution on the reverse figure's arms.  It came in a lot of unattributed junky stuff in an eBay lot that worked out to a dollar each.  

Titus   Æ As (72 A.D.) Rome Mint T CAES VESPAS IMP [P TR P COS] II, laureate head right / AEQVITAS AVGVST [I?] S C Aequitas standing left, holding scales and rod RIC 414 (AVGVST) or RIC 415 (AVGVSTI) (7.68 grams / 25 mm) eBay Oct. 2019      Lot @ $1.00

I think you are correct about the obverse legend reading. But whether it's 414 or 415 is a coin toss!