Sale: CNG 63, Lot: 1519. Estimate $3000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 21 May 2003.  Sold For $2100. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

TACITUS. 275-276 AD. AV Heavy Aureus (6.56 gm). Tripolis mint. IMP C M CL TACITVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / P M TB P VI COS II P P, Mars walking right, holding spear and trophy; pellet in exergue. Cf. Estiot, "Aurélian et Tacite: Monnaies d'or et faux modernes," BSFN 9 (1990), fig. 4 (same obverse die). Good VF, gilt and ex jewelry. ($3000)

Estiot asserts that this remarkable coin is based one of the final issues of Aurelian at Tripolis that contained this exact reverse legend and type (cf. MIR 47, 384d and pl. 143). The sole known authenic Tacitus specimen, in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg (Estiot, fig. 4), is reverse-die linked to this issue of Aurelian. While there are a number of forgeries of this type, Estiot identified features of the false reverse dies which make their identification possible: the TB P is reverted to TR P and there is no pellet on the reverse. The present coin, however, still retains the TB P and pellet, thus it is the second known authentic specimen. Interestingly, along with our specimen, all of the coins, authenic and false, published by Estiot share the same obverse die. The reverse die of the false coins, though, are not copies of the Hermitage coin, but do match that of our coin, though they have the "incorrect" TR P and no pellet. Thus, it must be that these forgeries are copies of our coin or another, unpublished, struck from the same dies. Truely, a remarkable coin!