Vespasian Countermark on Vespasian Denarius

Sale: CNG 78, Lot: 1753. Estimate $200.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 14 May 2008.  Sold For $330. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Vespasian. AD 69-79. AR Denarius (2.60 g, 6h). Ephesus mint. Struck AD 71. Laureate head right / Concordia (or Ceres?) seated left, holding grain ears, poppy, and cornucopia; [EPHE (partially ligate)]; c/m: IMP VES (ligate). RIC II 1428; RPC II 830; RSC 67; for c/m: cf. Howgego 839 var. (IMP • VES); cf. Pangerl 100. Coin Near VF, c/m VF, porous surfaces, slight wave to flan from countermark. Extremely rare.

An extremely rare occurrence of a Vespasian countermark on a Vespasian denarius, this example is useful for dating: the coin date provides terminus post quem for the countermark date.