Lot 4722

Description

(Titus), from Moesia & Thrace, period of Titus (A.D. 79-81), (11.64 grams), AE 25 with countermarks of AVG (twice), TI.CAE (AE ligated, TI{tius} CAE{SAR}) and helmet on the obverse, a dolphin right on the reverse, on Augustus AE As from Ephesus (RIC 486), (Martini, Nom.6, Pangerl Collection of Countermarked Imperial coins, countermark types No. 83, 90, 95 and 98). Countermarks very fine, host coin very good and very rare with all these known countermarks.

Martini notes the letters which he believes to mean TI(tus?) Cae(sar) and Aug(ustus) which Martini notes are always closely associated and further notes the issues as struck on generally issues of Augustus from Ephesus. Martini places the the countermark of dolphin and helmet as an earlier issue but still in the period of Vespasian and Titus. It was in a Thrace-Moesia area that these countermarks were applied to circulating worn coinage. The Pangerl collection contained very few examples with all these countermarks. Type 95 with dolphin are those mostly found with these additional countermarks.