David Atherton Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 26, 2023 (edited) 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 ErrorAR 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 19 2 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambr0zie Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 26, 2023 That's a MAJOR rarity. I consider it much more interesting that the coins with typos on legends. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth77 Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 26, 2023 This is almost like giving the CONSTANTINIANA DAFNE legend to a campgate reverse. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman Collector Posted July 26, 2023 · Patron Share Posted July 26, 2023 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. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orfew Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 26, 2023 Fantastic coin David. Congrats on a superb acquisition. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friedberg Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 26, 2023 Congratulations David ! Will this coin get its own number in RIC II 1² Addenda ? With friendly greetings from Germany 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Atherton Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted July 26, 2023 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 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seth77 Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 26, 2023 10 hours ago, Orfew said: Fantastic coin David. Congrats on a superb acquisition. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Atherton Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted July 26, 2023 1 minute ago, seth77 said: LOL! It is like Christmas in July! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AETHER Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 26, 2023 Are the other examples a die match? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orfew Posted July 26, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 26, 2023 1 hour ago, David Atherton said: LOL! It is like Christmas in July! I agree but Santa hasn’t visitors here yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Atherton Posted July 27, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted July 27, 2023 5 hours ago, AETHER said: Are the other examples a die match? Yes, all three share the same reverse die. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay GT4 Posted July 27, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 27, 2023 (edited) 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 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Atherton Posted July 27, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted July 27, 2023 (edited) 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] MuleAR 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 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limes Posted July 27, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted July 27, 2023 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? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finn235 Posted July 27, 2023 · Member Share Posted July 27, 2023 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. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Atherton Posted July 28, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted July 28, 2023 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Atherton Posted July 28, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted July 28, 2023 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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