Leu Numismatik AG
Auction 4 25 May 2019
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ASIA MINOR. Uncertain. Vespasian, 69-79. Hemiassarion (Bronze, 18 mm, 2.78 g, 12 h), RY 12 (?). AYTOKP KAICAP OYECΠACIANOC CEBACTOC Laureate head of Vespasian to right. Rev. ETOYΣ / IB within laurel wreath. RPC II -. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG München -. SNG von Aulock -. Unpublished and unique, an enigmatic issue of great interest. With a bold portrait and an attractive glossy dark patina. The obverse somewhat weakly struck, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.
This coin is an enigma. It is somewhat reminiscent of RPC II 2801, a diassarion from an uncertain eastern mint dated ETOYΣ A, year 1, with which it shares the general legends and types (although it differs in style). The problem, however, lays in the reverse legend: our coin reads ETOYΣ IB, year 12 - a year that does not exist for Vespasian, as he died on 23 June 79 in his 11th regnal year. Vespasian's last dated coinage comes from Cyprus, where coins were struck in the regnal years 8-10 (75/6-77/8), but Cyprus used the Actian Antiochene calendar, according to which year 12 would have started in late September or early October 79, when the emperor was long dead. Even in Egypt, where the year 11 ended on August 28, 79, one would need to postulate a delay of more than two months in the transmission of the news of the emperor's decease to the local authorities. Given the importance of such news and the fact that the coin does not look Egyptian at all, this is very unlikely indeed, but it adds to the mystery of this coin. Or shall we, after all, simply postulate a mere error by the die cutter and accept the issue as a quarter piece of RPC II 2801, in differing style and with the regnal year glaringly misspelled from year A to year IB?
This coin is an enigma. It is somewhat reminiscent of RPC II 2801, a diassarion from an uncertain eastern mint dated ETOYΣ A, year 1, with which it shares the general legends and types (although it differs in style). The problem, however, lays in the reverse legend: our coin reads ETOYΣ IB, year 12 - a year that does not exist for Vespasian, as he died on 23 June 79 in his 11th regnal year. Vespasian's last dated coinage comes from Cyprus, where coins were struck in the regnal years 8-10 (75/6-77/8), but Cyprus used the Actian Antiochene calendar, according to which year 12 would have started in late September or early October 79, when the emperor was long dead. Even in Egypt, where the year 11 ended on August 28, 79, one would need to postulate a delay of more than two months in the transmission of the news of the emperor's decease to the local authorities. Given the importance of such news and the fact that the coin does not look Egyptian at all, this is very unlikely indeed, but it adds to the mystery of this coin. Or shall we, after all, simply postulate a mere error by the die cutter and accept the issue as a quarter piece of RPC II 2801, in differing style and with the regnal year glaringly misspelled from year A to year IB?