Vitellius, Aureus, 69
Tarraco - Extremely rare - Gold - EF(40-45) - RIC:35
PLEASE NOTE: this collector's item is unique. We therefore cannot guarantee its availability over time and recommend that you do not delay too long in completing your purchase if you are interested.
Vitellius, Aureus, 69, Tarraco, RIC I² Vitellius 35. From the Pinewood Collection.
Head of Vitellius, laureate, left; globe at point of neck; palm before.
Victory advancing to left, holding shield inscribed S P Q R.
An aureus of the highest rarity! Struck in the name of Vitellius, Roman emperor in the year known as the "Year of the Four Emperors", those who succeeded Nero after his assassination in 68. He reigned between April and December 69, before being overthrown and killed by Vespasian at the end of the year. Very popular as a high Roman dignitary, he became extremely unpopular after his accession to power by leading a series of purges and executions, leading to the defection of the Roman troops, who then proclaimed Vespasian, vanquisher of the Judean revolt, emperor in his place. This coin, possibly struck in Tarraco (antique Tarragona), in Hispania, is extremely rare, as less than 10 examples of this type are known, and these aurei are highly sought-after by collectors for the story behind the face engraved on them. Lastly, the type with the Victory holding a shield inscribed "SPQR", very popular in Nero coinage, is reproduced. This was probably an attempt to maintain the people's trust in the coinage of this new ruler, by following in the iconographic tradition of his predecessor. The specimen has been cleaned, without any visible hairlines. There are a few light marks and scratches in the fields due to circulation. From the Pinewood Collection.
A VITELLIVS IMP GERMAN
VICTORIA AVGVSTI
7.46 gr
Gold
Although nowadays gold enjoys a reputation as the king of precious metals, that was not always the case. For example, in Ancient Greece, Corinthian bronze was widely considered to be superior. However, over the course of time, it has established itself as the prince of money, even though it frequently vies with silver for the top spot as the standard.
Nevertheless, there are other metals which appear to be even more precious than this duo, take for example rhodium and platinum. That is certain. Yet, if the ore is not as available, how can money be produced in sufficient quantities? It is therefore a matter of striking a subtle balance between rarity and availability.
But it gets better: gold is not only virtually unreactive, whatever the storage conditions (and trouser pockets are hardly the most precious of storage cases), but also malleable (coins and engravers appreciate that).
It thus represents the ideal mix for striking coins without delay – and we were not going to let it slip away!
The chemical symbol for gold is Au, which derives from its Latin name aurum. Its origins are probably extraterrestrial, effectively stardust released following a violent collision between two neutron stars. Not merely precious, but equally poetic…
The first gold coins were minted by the kings of Lydia, probably between the 8th and 6th century BC. Whereas nowadays the only gold coins minted are investment coins (bullion coins) or part of limited-edition series aimed at collectors, that was not always the case. And gold circulated extensively from hand to hand and from era to era, from the ancient gold deposits of the River Pactolus to the early years of the 20th century.
As a precious metal, in the same way as silver, gold is used for minting coins with intrinsic value, which is to say the value of which is constituted by the metal from which they are made. Even so, nowadays, the value to the collector frequently far exceeds that of the metal itself...
It should be noted that gold, which is naturally very malleable, is frequently supplemented with small amounts of other metals to render it harder.
The millesimal fineness (or alloy) of a coin indicates the exact proportion (in parts per thousand) of gold included in the composition. We thus speak, for example, of 999‰ gold or 999 parts of gold per 1 part of other metals. This measure is important for investment coins such as bullion. In France, it was expressed in carats until 1995.
An “EF(40-45)” quality
As in numismatics it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
Extremely Fine
This means – more prosaically – that the coin has circulated well from hand to hand and pocket to pocket but the impact on its wear remains limited: the coins retains much of its mint luster, sharp detailing and little sign of being circulated. Closer examination with the naked eye reveals minor scratches or nicks.
