| Heritage World Coin Auctions > Showcase Auction 61351 | Auction date: 11 December 2023 |
| Lot number: 24135 Price realized: 600 USD (Approx. 557 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Divus Vespasian (AD 69-79). AE sestertius (34mm, 24.83 gm, 6h). Choice XF, tooling. Rome, AD 80-81. DIVO / AVG / VESPAS, Divus Vespasian seated right, grounded scepter in right hand, Victory standing right in outstretched left hand, on cart decorated with captured arms, drawn by a quadriga of elephants with mahouts; S P Q R in exergue / IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII, legend around large S C. RIC II.1 (Titus) 257. Evidence of tooling, thus ineligible for encapsulation. Spectacularly detailed obverse composition. Magnificent example in hand. Ex Economopoulos Numismatics, private sale with old dealer's tag included; H. D. Rauch, Auction 105 (16 November 2017), lot 227; Professor W. Collection (Kricheldorf, Auction 49, 2017), lot 290; Virgil M. Brand III Collection (Sotheby's 1983), lot 288. Descended from a family of small-time entrepreneurs and tax farmers in the Sabine hill country north of Rome, Flavius Vespasianus was born in AD 9 and rose to prominence in the Roman Army. He gained distinction during Claudius' invasion of Britain in AD 43-44 and won a Consulship in AD 51, but fell from imperial favor when he dozed off during one of Nero's musical performances. When a Jewish faction in the province of Judaea rebelled and massacred the local Roman garrison in AD 66, Nero sent Vespasian at the head of three legions to crush the revolt. Through his able son Titus, Vespasian gained the friendship and support of Mucianus, governor of Syria, who had another three legions at his disposal. When the collapse of Nero's regime in AD 68 led to a free-for-all for the throne, with Galba, Otho, and Vitellius following in quick succession, Vespasian realized he had the means and ability to make his own try for supreme power. On 1 July AD 69, the legions of Alexandria, Egypt declared Vespasian as emperor. He decided on a policy of blockade and attrition to defeat Vitellius, but the sudden declaration of support by the Danubian legions and their invasion of Italy in the fall of AD 69 brought a much quicker victory. Vitellius was executed on 20 December, and the Senate proclaimed Vespasian emperor two days later. Arriving in Rome the following October, Vespasian celebrated a magnificent triumph for the Judaean campaign before launching an austerity program to put the Empire's finances on sound footing. His decade of rule was largely untroubled by revolts and conspiracies. Upon his death due to a sudden illness in AD 79 he was widely and sincerely mourned, and power passed smoothly to his son Titus. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-divus-vespasian-ad-69-79-ae-sestertius-34mm-2483-gm-6h-choice-xf-tooling/a/61351-24135.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-61351-12112023 HID02906262019 © 2023 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
Match 1:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 32260 Price realized: 1,700 USD (Approx. 1,582 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Vespasian (AD 69-79). AE sestertius (34mm, 24.41 gm, 5h). Choice XF, altered surfaces, light smoothing. Rome, AD 71. IMP CAES VESPAS AVG P M TR P P P COS III, laureate head of Vespasian right / PAX-AVGVSTI, Pax standing facing, head left, olive branch in outstretched right hand, cornucopia cradled in left arm; S-C across fields. RIC II.1 243. This coin features a dramatic and striking portrait of Vespasian with a realistic, stern, and regal expression. Struck on an nice flan with attractively patinated surfaces. Evidence of altered surfaces, thus ineligible for encapsulation. Ex Leu Numismatik, Auction 7 (24 October 2020), lot 1560. SOLD AS IS, NO RETURNS. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-vespasian-ad-69-79-ae-sestertius-34mm-2441-gm-5h-choice-xf-altered-surfaces-light-smoothing/a/3115-32260.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
Match 2:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 32261 Price realized: 1,600 USD (Approx. 1,488 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Vespasian (AD 69-79). AE sestertius (33mm, 23.41 gm, 5h). Choice XF, tooled. Rome, AD 71. IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M TR P P P COS III, laureate head of Vespasian right / CAES AVG F-DES IM-P AVG-F COS-DES ITER, Titus (on left) standing facing, head right, in military attire, grounded spears in right hand, volumen in left, looking at Domitian (on right), head left, in military attire, with grounded spear in right hand, parazonium in left hand; S C in exergue. RIC II.1, 152. Evidence of tooling, thus ineligible for encapsulation. SOLD AS IS, NO RETURNS. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-vespasian-ad-69-79-ae-sestertius-33mm-2341-gm-5h-choice-xf-tooled/a/3115-32261.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
Match 3:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > Showcase Auction 61373 | Auction date: 5 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 22126 Price realized: 1,350 USD (Approx. 1,263 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Vespasian (AD 69-79). AE sestertius (34mm, 24.89 gm, 6h). NGC AU 5/5 - 2/5, Fine Style. Rome, AD 71. IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M TR P P P COS III, laureate head of Vespasian right / FORTVNAE-REDVCI, Fortuna standing facing, head left, holding branch and rudder set on globe in right hand, cornucopia cradled in left arm; S C in exergue. RIC II.1, 157. Golden highlights on a forest green patina. Descended from a family of small-time entrepreneurs and tax farmers in the Sabine hill country north of Rome, Flavius Vespasianus was born in AD 9 and rose to prominence in the Roman Army. He gained distinction during Claudius' invasion of Britain in AD 43-44 and won a Consulship in AD 51, but fell from imperial favor when he dozed off during one of Nero's musical performances. When a Jewish faction in the province of Judaea rebelled and massacred the local Roman garrison in AD 66, Nero sent Vespasian at the head of three legions to crush the revolt. Through his able son Titus, Vespasian gained the friendship and support of Mucianus, governor of Syria, who had another three legions at his disposal. When the collapse of Nero's regime in AD 68 led to a free-for-all for the throne, with Galba, Otho, and Vitellius following in quick succession, Vespasian realized he had the means and ability to make his own try for supreme power. On 1 July AD 69, the legions of Alexandria, Egypt declared Vespasian as emperor. He decided on a policy of blockade and attrition to defeat Vitellius, but the sudden declaration of support by the Danubian legions and their invasion of Italy in the fall of AD 69 brought a much quicker victory. Vitellius was executed on 20 December, and the Senate proclaimed Vespasian emperor two days later. Arriving in Rome the following October, Vespasian celebrated a magnificent triumph for the Judaean campaign before launching an austerity program to put the Empire's finances on sound footing. His decade of rule was largely untroubled by revolts and conspiracies. Upon his death due to a sudden illness in AD 79 he was widely and sincerely mourned, and power passed smoothly to his son Titus. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-vespasian-ad-69-79-ae-sestertius-34mm-2489-gm-6h-ngc-au-5-5-2-5-fine-style/a/61373-22126.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-61373-05052024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
Match 4:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > CSNS Signature Sale 3115 | Auction date: 8 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 31070 Price realized: 14,000 USD (Approx. 13,024 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | |
| Lot description: Ancients Vespasian (AD 69-79). AE sestertius (33mm, 25.71 gm, 6h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 2/5, Fine Style, smoothing. Rome, AD 71. IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M TR P P P COS III, laureate head of Vespasian right / IVDAEA-CAPTA, palm tree in center; bearded and draped Jewish captive standing right (on left) , hands tied behind back, grounded shield behind, and Judaea seated right on cuirass (on right), in attitude of mourning, resting left elbow on knee, supporting head with left hand, pile of arms behind both figures, S C in exergue. RIC II.1 159. GBC 6, 6530. Deep coffee patina with evergreen tones. Light smoothing does not detract from the crisply struck, perfectly centered depictions. Ex G.T. Collection of the Twelve Caesars (Roma Numismatics, Auction XX, 29 October 2020), lot 499; Classical Numismatic Group, Triton XXI (9 January 2018), lot 731; Numismatica Arts Classica, Auction 94, 6 October 2016, lot 159; Michael Weller Collection (Classical Numismatic Group, Triton VIII, 11 January 2005), lot 1007. The famous reverse legend IVDAEA CAPTA refers to the triumph of Vespasian's son Titus over the Jewish rebels and the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem the prior year. Six hundred years earlier, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II and his conquering army had destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem, carrying away the Jewish people as slaves back to Babylon. The Romans chose to leave the subjugated Jewish population in place, a mistake that would come back to haunt them in the Bar Kokhba Revolt 60 years later. But if not steal the Jewish population as the Babylonians had done, what did the Romans loot from Judaea as spoils of war? Though the Romans had been enraged by the insubordination of the Jews, they held a certain respect for the ancient nature of the Jewish religion and its institutions, part of the reason that Roman authorities permitted Judaism while persecuting newer "cults" like Christianity. When the triumphant army of Titus descended upon the city in August AD 70, they fixated on the Temple, the center of the Jewish faith and therefore of the revolt against Rome. Before destroying the structure, the Roman legionaries looted the sacred relics of the Temple, including the Table of the Sacred Bread, a table of solid gold that held various food and drink that was a type of permanent offering to God. But the greatest prize of all was the gold menorah, which was paraded through the streets of Rome along with the aforementioned Table and the sacred trumpets during Titus' triumph. The whole scene, including the menorah, is featured prominently on the Arch of Titus, which still stands today in Rome. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-vespasian-ad-69-79-ae-sestertius-33mm-2571-gm-6h-ngc-choice-au-5-5-2-5-fine-style-smoothing/a/3115-31070.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3115-05082024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Estimate: 10000-12000 USD |  |
Match 5:
| Heritage World Coin Auctions > Showcase Auction 61375 | Auction date: 20 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 25200 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | |
| Lot description: Ancients Vespasian (AD 69-79). AE sestertius (32mm, 27.73 gm, 6h). NGC Choice VF★ 5/5 - 4/5, Fine Style, light smoothing. Rome, AD 71. IMP CAES VESPAS AVG P M TR P P P COS III, laureate head of Vespasian right / S-C, Mars advancing right, nude but for cloak tied at waist, with transverse spear in right hand, trophy in left over shoulder. RIC II.1, 247. Handsome dark chocolate piece well-struck from beautifully executed Fine Style dies. Ex Morris Collection (Heritage Auctions, Auction 3071, 7 January 2019), lot 32068. https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-imperial/ancients-vespasian-ad-69-79-ae-sestertius-32mm-2773-gm-6h-ngc-choice-vfand-9733-5-5-4-5-fine-style-light/a/61375-25200.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-61375-05202024 HID02906262019 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved |  |
