A Friday Afternoon Die?

[David Atherton]

Picture it: Italy, 79 AD, Friday afternoon at the Rome mint. A busy engraver works on a reverse die for Titus Caesar, all the while keeping a close eye on the sundial, eagerly awaiting quitting time. Alas! He makes a mistake! Will the a rationibus notice? Probably not. The engraver hurriedly turns in the error die unnoticed and makes his way to the wine bar to meet his mates. 2000 years later his mistake lives on ...

 

 

Titus as Caesar [Vespasian] Rev. Legend Error
AR Denarius, 3.15g
Rome Mint, 79 AD
Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIANVS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS; Venus stg. r., leaning on column, with helmet and spear
RIC 1078 var. (rev. legend intended for D.) p. 185, note 195. BMC 255 var. (same). RSC 332 var. (same). BNC 223 var. (same).
Ex Harlan J Berk, MBS 224, lot 94. Ex Curtis Clay Collection, acquired from Flavian Logic, November 2001.

A most remarkable error denarius! Here we have a Domitian Caesar reverse legend PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS mistakenly given to a Titus Caesar Venus type by the engraver. The correct legend should read TR POT VIII COS VII. Perhaps the Venus reverse was confused with the Salus/column type (RIC 1084) struck for Domitian Caesar from the same issue? Furthermore, Domitian's COS VI issue with the reverse legend PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS is dated to 79 and could either have been struck under Vespasian before his death in June or by Titus afterwards. The existence of this Titus Caesar error coin proves at least some of Domitian's COS VI coinage was produced under Vespasian (see RIC II p. 31). Extremely rare, possibly the third known specimen.

 

In hand.

 

 

Here is the Domitian Caesar Salus which may have been confused with the Titus Caesar Venus.

 

Domitian as Caesar [Vespasian]
AR Denarius, 3.28g
Rome Mint, 79 AD
Obv: CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS COS VI; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS; Salus, stg. r., resting on column, feeding snake out of patera
RIC 1084 (C2). BMC 265. RSC 384. BNC 237.
Acquired from Aegean Numismatics, July 2008.

 

Do you have a 'Friday afternoon die'? I would love to see it!

Thank you for looking!

Edited August 15, 2023 by David Atherton

[ambr0zie]

That's a MAJOR rarity. I consider it much more interesting that the coins with typos on legends. 

[seth77]

This is almost like giving the CONSTANTINIANA DAFNE legend to a campgate reverse.

[Roman Collector]

Well, in the legend engraver's defense, that isn't the most callipygean depiction of Venus Victrix in Roman numismatics. This one is a little more curvaceous.

[Orfew]

Fantastic coin David. Congrats on a superb acquisition.

[friedberg]

Congratulations David ! Will this coin get its own number in RIC II 1² Addenda ?

With friendly greetings from Germany

[David Atherton]

9 hours ago, friedberg said:

Will this coin get its own number in RIC II 1² Addenda ?

Probably not, it is already footnoted in RIC. Although I did inform Professor Carradice of the piece. We shall see ...

[seth77]

10 hours ago, Orfew said:

Fantastic coin David. Congrats on a superb acquisition.

 

 

[David Atherton]

1 minute ago, seth77 said:

 

 

LOL! It is like Christmas in July!

[AETHER]

Are the other examples a die match?

[Orfew]

1 hour ago, David Atherton said:

LOL! It is like Christmas in July!

I agree but Santa hasn’t visitors here yet!

[David Atherton]

5 hours ago, AETHER said:

Are the other examples a die match?

Yes, all three share the same reverse die.

[Jay GT4]

A great mule (error) 😁! Here's one that's a more common mix up, Titus and Vespasian

T CAES IMP VESP CENS
Laureate bust right

PONTIF MAXIM
Vespasian seated right on curule chair, with sceptre and branch

Rome, 73 CE
RIC 554 (R) (Vespasian) A mule with reverse type of Vespasian
3.03g
Ex-Barakat

Edited July 27, 2023 by Jay GT4

[David Atherton]

4 hours ago, Jay GT4 said:

A great mule!

 

Thanks Jay! However, the OP coin technically is not a 'mule'. A mule is a coin pairing an obverse with an incorrect reverse type. Here instead, we have a correct type for Titus Caesar combined with an incorrect legend (!). This would be more accurately considered an error coin.

But your posted coin is indeed a true mule! Some mules, such as yours, are relatively so 'common' as to warrant their own catalogue numbers.

 

Titus as Caesar [Vespasian] Mule
AR Denarius, 3.08g
Rome Mint, 73 AD
Obv: T CAES IMP VESP CENS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: PONTIF MAXIM; Vespasian std. r. on curule chair, with sceptre and branch
RIC 554 (R). BMC 113. RSC 158. BNC 97.
Ex Lanz, eBay, 6 October 2008.

Edited July 27, 2023 by David Atherton

[Limes]

Interesting coin! I have to admit, I would not notice this error at first glance, but I can image a knowledgable collector like you would instantly. (Well, maybe I would, if I would read the description from Berk 😉)

On 7/26/2023 at 10:20 AM, David Atherton said:

A most remarkable error denarius! Here we have a Domitian Caesar reverse legend PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS mistakenly given to a Titus Caesar Venus type by the engraver. The correct legend should read TR POT VIII COS VII. Perhaps the Venus reverse was confused with the Salus/column type (RIC 1084) struck for Domitian Caesar from the same issue? Extremely rare, possibly the third known specimen.

It does make me wonder what procedures were in place in the mints. I can image some drawings or specimens laying about, that were copied? 

 

[Finn235]

Nice discovery!

I also have one of those Titus / Vespasian mules - certainly easy to see how the mix up would have happened and I never would have thought twice about it if the importance wasn't pointed out.

Here's one that on paper also appears to be a mule - combining a Constantine obverse with a PROVIDENTIAE CAESS reverse

Although the problem is the mintmark - T*AR for Arles, 3rd officina... which didn't mint for Constantine at all during this emission, only his sons! It's been suggested to me that this coin may in fact be an exceptionally well done "irregular" coin.

[David Atherton]

8 hours ago, Limes said:

It does make me wonder what procedures were in place in the mints. I can image some drawings or specimens laying about, that were copied? 

 

There are many questions concerning mint operations I would love to have answered ... but ultimately I have resigned myself to the fact we likely will never know.

[David Atherton]

7 hours ago, Finn235 said:

Nice discovery!

I also have one of those Titus / Vespasian mules - certainly easy to see how the mix up would have happened and I never would have thought twice about it if the importance wasn't pointed out.

Here's one that on paper also appears to be a mule - combining a Constantine obverse with a PROVIDENTIAE CAESS reverse

Although the problem is the mintmark - T*AR for Arles, 3rd officina... which didn't mint for Constantine at all during this emission, only his sons! It's been suggested to me that this coin may in fact be an exceptionally well done "irregular" coin.

Yes, the mules between Vespasian and Titus are almost forgivable since they often shared the same reverse types. 

Nice one BTW!