Lot 3608

Description

(Titus), from Moesia & Thrace, period of Titus (A.D. 79-81), (5.944 grams), AE 25 with countermarks of AVG (twice), TI.CAE [Ti{tius} CAE{SAR}), dolphin right (on reverse) and helmet, on Augustus AE as from Ephesus, (Martini, Nom.6, Pangerl Collection of Countermarked Imperial coins, countermark types No. 83, 90, 95 and 98). Countermarks very fine, host coin poor, 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 he observed are always closely associated. 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 the 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.