New coin - rare Vespasian as from Lugdunum

[CPK]

Here is a new coin I acquired a little while ago: a rare as minted in Lugdunum under Vespasian in AD 71.

I like the portrait especially - a good example of a strong, early-style portrait from Lugdunum. The legend is also complete and crisply struck.

The reverse isn't quite as nice, being off-center, but it's not too bad.

The coin came with a fair amount of concrete-like encrustations and was rather garishly stripped, so after cleaning it up I gave it a quick rinse in a bath of liver of sulfur to darken it again. I must admit, it turned out a bit darker than I had expected, but it's much better than it was and I'm happy with it.

Thanks for looking and please feel free to comment and/or post your own relevant coins!

VESPASIAN, AD 69-79
AE As (28.88mm, 10.81g, 7h)
Struck AD 71. Lugdunum mint
Obverse: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III, laureate head of Vespasian right with globe at point of neck
Reverse: FIDES PVBLICA, Fides standing left, holding patera and cornucopiae; S C across fields
References: RIC II 1164, RCV -
A rare type with an exceptional portrait.

[Postvmvs]

Thanks for sharing. Do you have a photo before cleaning?

 

Here my Vespasian dupondius with a stouter left-facing portrait:

[CPK]

1 minute ago, Postvmvs said:

Thanks for sharing. Do you have a photo before cleaning?

 

Here my Vespasian dupondius with a stouter left-facing portrait:

Unfortunately no, I didn't take any before pictures.

Nice coin! I used to have a similar dupondius (Felicitas though, not Fortuna.) I sold it awhile back though.

[David Atherton]

48 minutes ago, CPK said:

Here is a new coin I acquired a little while ago: a rare as minted in Lugdunum under Vespasian in AD 71.

I like the portrait especially - a good example of a strong, early-style portrait from Lugdunum. The legend is also complete and crisply struck.

The reverse isn't quite as nice, being off-center, but it's not too bad.

The coin came with a fair amount of concrete-like encrustations and was rather garishly stripped, so after cleaning it up I gave it a quick rinse in a bath of liver of sulfur to darken it again. I must admit, it turned out a bit darker than I had expected, but it's much better than it was and I'm happy with it.

Thanks for looking and please feel free to comment and/or post your own relevant coins!

VESPASIAN, AD 69-79
AE As (28.88mm, 10.81g, 7h)
Struck AD 71. Lugdunum mint
Obverse: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III, laureate head of Vespasian right with globe at point of neck
Reverse: FIDES PVBLICA, Fides standing left, holding patera and cornucopiae; S C across fields
References: RIC II 1164, RCV -
A rare type with an exceptional portrait.

Fantastic rarity!

[AETHER]

Great looking coin, especially the portrait 

[Amarmur]

My favorite portrait of Vespasian comes on an AS. I use the Taters photos because mine are not as nice. Flavian portraits are very charming.

[Sulla80]

3 hours ago, CPK said:

Here is a new coin I acquired a little while ago: a rare as minted in Lugdunum under Vespasian in AD 71.

I like the portrait especially - a good example of a strong, early-style portrait from Lugdunum. The legend is also complete and crisply struck.

The reverse isn't quite as nice, being off-center, but it's not too bad.

The coin came with a fair amount of concrete-like encrustations and was rather garishly stripped, so after cleaning it up I gave it a quick rinse in a bath of liver of sulfur to darken it again. I must admit, it turned out a bit darker than I had expected, but it's much better than it was and I'm happy with it.

Thanks for looking and please feel free to comment and/or post your own relevant coins!

VESPASIAN, AD 69-79
AE As (28.88mm, 10.81g, 7h)
Struck AD 71. Lugdunum mint
Obverse: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III, laureate head of Vespasian right with globe at point of neck
Reverse: FIDES PVBLICA, Fides standing left, holding patera and cornucopiae; S C across fields
References: RIC II 1164, RCV -
A rare type with an exceptional portrait.

A very nice catch @CPK! my latest coin is not rare, but is also from Vespasian in year 71, from a mint other than Rome.

https://www.sullacoins.com/post/coins-of-vespasian-from-ephesus

Edited July 13 by Sulla80

[expat]

Nice acquisition @CPK Lovely portrait and clear obverse legend.

I have only one but from Rome

Vespasian Denarius, Rome 72-73 AD. RIC 360, (RIC [1962] 50), RSC 574, BMC 71 SEAR 2316. 18mm, 3.19g.
IMP CAES VESP AVG P M COS IIII, laureate head right / VES-TA to either side of Vesta standing left, holding simpulum & scepter.

 

[ambr0zie]

A Vespasian green as somewhat nicer in hand (Rome)

23 mm, 11,02 g.
Vespasian 69-79. Æ as. Rome. 71 AD.
IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III, head of Vespasian, laureate, right / AEQVITAS AVGVSTI S C, Aequitas, draped. standing left, holding scales in right hand and long vertical rod in left.
RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 287.

[Sebastian]

Great coin! Congratulation!

This is my As of Vespasian

 

[Ryro]

Coingrats on the excellent portrait! 

Here's my favorite Vespy from a year or two before yours:

VESPASIAN

Denarius. Minted AD 69-70 . ASIA MINOR. Anv.: IMP. CAES. VESPAS. AVG. Laureate head to the right. Rev .: AVG within laurel. 3.42 grs. Dark patina. Nice piece. EBC / Vespasianus. Nice coin with dark patina and extremely fine. C-36b; RIC-311; BMC-497. Purchased from Soler y Llach, Coleccion Scipio, Oct 2021

[CPK]

Thanks everyone! I like seeing all the great Vespasian coins posted. For some reason, I find his coins to be among the easiest to accumulate. 🙂 

[Sulla80]

There's a wee bit of variability in the portraits in this thread - I guess that Vespasian might have looked most like the coin from Rome (right most of these 4) - where they might have had some chance of seeing him in real life.