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Otho. AD 69. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.54 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck 15 January-8 March. IMP M OTHO CΛESΛR AVG TR P, bare head right / PΛX ORB IS TERRΛRVM, Pax, draped, standing left, holding olive branch in right hand and cradling caduceus in left. RIC I 4; Muona Group 1, Type 5B, Portrait B; RSC 3; BMCRE 3; BN 3. NGC Photo Certificate graded AU, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 4/5, flan flaw.
From the PLZ Collection. Ex Millennia Collection (Goldberg 46, 26 May 2008), lot 93.
Born in AD 32 to a nouveau riche family, Marcus Salvius Otho grew up as a pampered playboy with a taste for the finer things in life. He had a peculiar abhorrence for bodily hair and depilated every part of his body, including his head, to cover his baldness. He then wore a carefully made wig, which can be detected in his later coin portraits. Otho became one of Emperor Nero’s high-living friends, but this changed abruptly when Nero took a fancy to his beautiful wife, Poppaea. Otho was thus packed off to govern Lusitania (modern Portugal), where he stewed and plotted revenge. When Nero’s regime collapsed in AD 68, Otho was one of Galba’s early supporters and followed him back to Rome. He fully expected to be named the old man’s heir apparent. Instead, Galba chose a young aristocrat of better breeding, and the furious Otho began plotting his removal. Playing on Galba’s stingy reputation, he bribed the Praetorian Guards to murder Galba on January 15, AD 69, after which the Senate reluctantly confirmed Otho as emperor. But he immediately faced another rebellion, this time by Vitellius, the governor of lower Germany, whose sizeable army marched on Italy, defeated Otho’s hastily gathered forces, and impelled his suicide to prevent further bloodshed. His noble end gained him a respect that had eluded him in life.
As previously noted, Otho’s Roman coinage is exclusively in silver and gold. The superb denarius offered here, besides clearly depicting his infamous wig, bears the ironic reverse legend PAX ORBIS TERRARVM (“Peace in the world”). Given Otho’s position as brief ruler in the war-filled Year of the Four Emperors, he certainly could hope for nothing more. This coin is struck on a large round flan with complete legends, making it a desirable addition to any first-rate set of Roman imperial denarii.
The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 132 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 18-19 May 2026.
CNG Feature Auction 132 – Session One – Lot 1-318 will be held Monday morning, 18 May 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.
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