Vitellius, April –December 69.
Aureus, Tarraco (?) 2 January – 18 April 69, prior to the Senate's award of the title of Augustus, AV 7.17 g. A VITELLIVS – IMP GERMAN Laureate head l. with globe at point of bust. Rev. VICTORIA – AVGVSTI Victory alighting l., holding shield inscribed SP / Q R. C 95. BMC 91. RIC 34. CBN –. Calicó 576. Very rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. A superb and unusual portrait struck on a very large flan. Extremely fine

Graded AU Strike 5/5 Surface 3/5, NGC certification number 2107825-002.

The civil war of A.D. 68-69 involved most almost every province in the empire, so it is not surprising that several mints outside of Italy struck coins for those who battled for the throne. This aureus of Vitellius was struck at a Spanish mint, usually identified as Tarraco. The style and fabric are distinctive, with the globe and palm branch at the tip of the bust offering further confirmation that this piece is not a Rome mint product. The obverse inscription, IMP GERMAN VITELLIVS, includes the title imperator and his surname Germanicus, both of which Suetonius (Vitellius 8) tells us he received at the outset of his revolt from the legions of his province, Upper Germany. This, along with the absence of the title Augustus, allows its attribution to the three months he was imperator from early January to April 19. Some of Vitellius' other Spanish-mint aurei addressed the armies, upon whose support he relied. One notable type, CONSENSVS HISPANIARVM, celebrates the approval he received from the Spanish army that originally had supported Galba. Others are directed toward all of Rome's armies or specifically to the Praetorian guards, whose support he would need by the time he arrived in Rome. This reverse type of Victory alighting, holding a shield inscribed SPQR was presumably taken from Nero's coinage. It was his most common type for copper asses and brass dupondii, with the former being anepigraphic and the latter bearing the same inscription as this aureus. They were issued in enormous quantities at Rome and Lugdunum, and were widely distributed throughout the Western provinces and Italy. The theme of a victorious emperor is appropriate for civil war propaganda, though it was premature in this case, since Vitellius did not reign long enough to support such a claim.