Watch List notes:

Diadumenian as Caesar. Sestertius; Diadumenian as Caesar; 217-218 AD, Rome, c. May-June 217 AD, Sestertius, 27.35g. Bust var. of BMC-149 note and RIC-215 (R2). Obv: M OPEL DIADVMENIANVS CAES Bare-headed, draped bust r., seen from behind. Rx: PRINC IVVENTVTIS SC Diadumenian holding baton and scepter, standing l. before two standards, which are topped by an eagle and a wreath respectively. From the Curtis Clay Collection, purchased from Freeman & Sear, 1998 (their ticket price $975). From Diadumenian's very rare first issue of sestertii, before he was given the name Antoninus in memory of the recently assassinated Caracalla. The sestertii bearing this titulature apparently come from only two obverse dies, ours showing the Caesar's bust seen from behind, unusual on sestertii, and the other showing his bust seen from in front, Diadumenian's standard bust type on sestertii for most of his short reign. Both variants of this earliest sestertius of Diadumenian are missing from the rich public coin cabinets in the British Museum, Paris, Vienna, and Berlin.Field slightly tooled, but lettering and portrait untouched. F
($1100)