JayAg47 Posted October 25, 2023 · Member Share Posted October 25, 2023 (edited) An emperor who's short reign only known for his gluttony! Added this denarius of Vitellius to my collection. While I currently have no plans to assemble a set of the 12 Caesars, this particular coin was too good of a deal to pass up at 45€ listed on Ma-Shops. Although I waited for over a month to receive the coin. I'm just happy with the bust and his name being clear. Vitellius, A.D. 69, AR Denarius, 3 g Obv: A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG TR P; laureate head right. Rev: CONCORDIA P R; Concordia, dr., seated l., r. holding patera, l. cornucopia. This is the seller's photo, I'm really surprised Ma-shops allows such poor quality images. I was gonna leave the coin as it is, but ended up cleaning the coin with sodium thiosulfate to get rid of the horn silver. Please share your coins of Vitellius! Edited October 25, 2023 by JayAg47 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edessa Posted October 25, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted October 25, 2023 Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Vitellius, AD 69. Billon Tetradrachm (24mm, 13.35g, 12h). Dated RY 1 (AD 69). Obv: ΩΛOY OYIT KAIΣ ΣEB ΓEPM AYT; Laureate head right. Rev: Nike walking right, holding wreath and palm frond; L-A (date) in field to right. Ref: Köln 259; Dattari 339; K&G 19.2; RPC I 5373; Emmett 195.1 (R3). Near Very Fine, grayish toning, light porosity, rare. Ex Barry Murphy, April 2011. . 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Ancient Coin Hunter Posted October 25, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted October 25, 2023 Vitellius is one of the 12 Caesars I don't have. Nice coins all, especially the billon tetradrachm 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanxi Posted October 25, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted October 25, 2023 Getting a decent Vitellius at a good price is not easy. Here is my only Denarius. Vitellius Denarius, Rome, AD 69 Obv.: A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVGVST TR P, laureate head right Rev.: LIBERI IMP GERM AVG, confronted draped busts of Vitellius' son (on left) and daughter (thought to have been named Vitellius Germanicus and Vitellia) Ag, 3.090g, 18.1mm, 180o Ref.: RIC² 103, RSC II 2, BMCRE I 29, BnF III 62 14 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maridvnvm Posted October 25, 2023 · Member Share Posted October 25, 2023 I have only ever bought one Vitellius. Obv:- A VITELLIVS IMP GERMAN, Laureate head right Rev:- VICTORIA AVGVSTI, Victory with shield advancing left, S P Q R on shield Minted in Lugdunum. A.D. 69 References:- RIC I 62 14 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kali Posted October 25, 2023 · Member Share Posted October 25, 2023 Vitellius (69 A.D.) AR Denarius O: A VITELLIVS GERMAN IMP TR P,Laureate head right. R: S P Q R / OB / C S in three lines within wreath. Rome Mint, 69 A.D. 3.15g 18.5mm RIC I 83; RSC 86. Vitellius (69 A.D.) Egypt, Alexandria Billon Tetradrachm O: ΩΛΟΥ ΟΥΙΤ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒ ΓΕΡΜ ΑΥΤ, laureate head right. R: Nike advancing left, holding wreath with her extended right hand and palm frond with her left; LA (date) to left. 23mm 12.99g RPC 5372; Köln 260-2; Dattari 340; K&G 19.1. Emmett 196.1 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc9 Posted October 25, 2023 · Member Share Posted October 25, 2023 my only Vittelius : obv : A VITTELIUS IMP GERMAN : head laur. r., globe at point of bust rev : FIDES / EXERCITVVM : in 2 lines above and below clasped r. hands Denarius; Lugdunum, RIC I 54; A.D.69 16 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limes Posted October 25, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted October 25, 2023 (edited) Congratulations with your new Vitellius! You can really see the full name, which is a bit scarce with his coins. Here is mine. Unfortunately the name is mostly off flan. Edited October 25, 2023 by Limes 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambr0zie Posted October 25, 2023 · Member Share Posted October 25, 2023 I also have one modest example. 19 mm, 2,83 g. Vitellius 69 AD. AR denarius. Rome. A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG TR P - laureate head of Vitellius right / PONT MAXIM - Vesta, veiled, seated on throne right, holding patera and scepter. RIC 107. Portrait is decent - but name off the flan and the reverse, well, I've seen better reverses on coins. My personal opinion - your coin is an excellent deal for 45 euros. But I think I prefer the uncleaned version. Most likely the coin was harshly cleaned prior to the appearing of horn silver and the scratches are now more visible. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayAg47 Posted October 25, 2023 · Member Author Share Posted October 25, 2023 14 minutes ago, ambr0zie said: But I think I prefer the uncleaned version. Most likely the coin was harshly cleaned prior to the appearing of horn silver and the scratches are now more visible. Yeah I went back and forth on this, but decided to clean it since the reverse was too cruddy, while the coin looks blast white now, it should re-tone in time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafydd Posted October 25, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted October 25, 2023 (edited) Nice coin @JayAg47 Here is one of my 12 Caesars. VITELLIUS (69). Denarius. Rome. Obv: A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG TR P. Laureate head right. Rev: XV VIR SACR FAC. Tripod surmounted by dolphin right; below, raven right. RIC109 Ex Neumismatik Neumann Edited October 25, 2023 by Dafydd 14 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qcumbor Posted October 25, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted October 25, 2023 Not the easiest emperor to come by, well done ! My only example of his, but illustrating the type on Wildwinds ! Vitellius, Denarius - Rome mint, July - December 20, 69 CE A VITELLIVS GERMAN IMP TR P, Laureate head of Vitellius right XV VIR SACR FAC, Tripod-lebes with dolphin lying right on top and raven standing right below 3.43 gr, 16-18 mm Ref : RCV # 2201var, Cohen cf # 110 et suiv, RIC I # 86 (this example illustrated in Wildwinds) Q 15 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amarmur Posted October 26, 2023 · Member Share Posted October 26, 2023 Mine has dark toning. It has vesta on the reverse. Not terrible, it resembles him so it works for me. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor DonnaML Posted October 26, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted October 26, 2023 (edited) It really is difficult (almost as much as with Otho) to find a nice Vitellius with his name readable, at a decent price. Mine isn't what I'd call a nice example -- that's a sad-looking dolphin and raven on the reverse -- but at least I can read his name and the price wasn't through the roof. Vitellius AR Denarius, Jul 18-Dec 69 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG TRP / Rev. Tripod-lebes (cauldron) surmounted by dolphin lying right on top, with raven standing right below, XV VIR SACR FAC. RIC I 109, RSC II 111 (ill.), Sear RCV I 2201 (ill.), BMCRE 39. 18.5 mm., 3.1 g. [See Sear RCV I at p. 421, explaining that the reverse “refers to Vitellius’ membership in the priestly college of the Quindecimviri Sacris Faciundis, ‘fifteen men for the conduct of sacred matters.’ This body had care of the Sibylline prophecies and were famous for the opulence of their banquets, a feature of the priesthood which particularly appealed to the gluttonous emperor.”] Edited October 26, 2023 by DonnaML 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octavius Posted October 27, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted October 27, 2023 Denarius of Vitellius with SPQR reverse.... Sestertius with PAX reverse.... 14 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tejas Posted October 27, 2023 · Member Share Posted October 27, 2023 (edited) Great coins shown here. Congratulations on your purchase. Here is my one and only Vitellius. I bought this one, because it has a particularly lifely partrait, which kind of matches well with the character traits attributed to Vitellius. Edited October 27, 2023 by Tejas 13 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafydd Posted October 27, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted October 27, 2023 5 hours ago, Tejas said: Great coins shown here. Congratulations on your purchase. Here is my one and only Vitellius. I bought this one, because it has a particularly lifely partrait, which kind of matches well with the character traits attributed to Vitellius. Exceptional -Wow , what hair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor kirispupis Posted October 27, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted October 27, 2023 Mine isn't a great example, but I didn't feel like paying much more than $100 so this is what I got. 🙂 I still like it. Vitellius AR Denarius Rome, 69 CE 2.62g, 18mm, 6h. A VITEL[LIV]S GERM IMP AVG TR P, laureate head to right / XV VIR SACR FAC, tripod-lebes surmounted by dolphin, raven standing to right below RIC I 109; BMCRE 39; RSC 111 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulla80 Posted October 28, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted October 28, 2023 (edited) Some excellent Vitellini in this thread (Italian, plural of vitello (“calf”) + -ino (diminutive suffix). Here is an ugly one: Suetonius gives us the hyperbolic or ridiculous version of Vitellius in "Life of VItellius" 13.1: "Being besides a man of an appetite that was not only boundless, but also regardless of time or decency, he could never refrain, even when he was sacrificing or making a journey, from snatching bits of meat and cakes amid the altars, almost from the very fire, and devouring them on the spot; and in the cookshops along the road, viands smoking hot or even those left over from the day before and partly consumed." Via Sacra, Rome and his is end was not pretty: "... they bound his arms behind his back, put a noose about his neck, and dragged him with rent garments and half-naked to the Forum. All along the Via Sacra he was greeted with mockery and abuse, his head held back by the hair, as is common with criminals, and even the point of a sword placed under his chin, so that he could not look down but must let his face be seen. Some pelted him with dung and ordure, others called him incendiary and glutton, and some of the mob even taunted him with his bodily defects. He was in fact abnormally tall, with a face usually flushed from hard drinking, a huge belly, and one thigh crippled from being struck once upon a time by a four-horse chariot, when he was in attendance on Gaius as he was driving. At last on the Scalae Gemoniae he was tortured for a long time and then despatched and dragged off with a hook to the Tiber." - Suetonius, 17.1 Edited October 28, 2023 by Sulla80 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafydd Posted October 29, 2023 · Supporter Share Posted October 29, 2023 Here is another Vitellius. OBVERSE VITELLIUS RIGHT As Sear 2196 but provincial ? GERM IMP AVG TR P CONCORDIA PR Concordia seated left Ex-Lodge Antiquities. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor DonnaML Posted October 30, 2023 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted October 30, 2023 On 10/28/2023 at 7:36 AM, Sulla80 said: Some excellent Vitellini in this thread (Italian, plural of vitello (“calf”) + -ino (diminutive suffix). Here is an ugly one: Suetonius gives us the hyperbolic or ridiculous version of Vitellius in "Life of VItellius" 13.1: "Being besides a man of an appetite that was not only boundless, but also regardless of time or decency, he could never refrain, even when he was sacrificing or making a journey, from snatching bits of meat and cakes amid the altars, almost from the very fire, and devouring them on the spot; and in the cookshops along the road, viands smoking hot or even those left over from the day before and partly consumed." Via Sacra, Rome and his is end was not pretty: "... they bound his arms behind his back, put a noose about his neck, and dragged him with rent garments and half-naked to the Forum. All along the Via Sacra he was greeted with mockery and abuse, his head held back by the hair, as is common with criminals, and even the point of a sword placed under his chin, so that he could not look down but must let his face be seen. Some pelted him with dung and ordure, others called him incendiary and glutton, and some of the mob even taunted him with his bodily defects. He was in fact abnormally tall, with a face usually flushed from hard drinking, a huge belly, and one thigh crippled from being struck once upon a time by a four-horse chariot, when he was in attendance on Gaius as he was driving. At last on the Scalae Gemoniae he was tortured for a long time and then despatched and dragged off with a hook to the Tiber." - Suetonius, 17.1 Is there a total somewhere of the number of emperors who supposedly ended up thrown in the Tiber? Wasn't that the fate of Elagabalus and his mother? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prieure de Sion Posted October 30, 2023 · Member Share Posted October 30, 2023 8 hours ago, DonnaML said: Wasn't that the fate of Elagabalus and his mother? If one believes the ancient sources, this was so... Somewhere I read that Pupienus and Balbinus were also been thrown into the Tiber after been murdered. But I would have to look again to find out which source that was. I don't know anything about other emperors - so I don't know of any others. Oh yes - Petronius Maximus - he also ended up in the Tiber. Possibly also his son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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