Denarius of Otho

Calvin Otterwell asked if I could provide him with more information about this Roman silver coin.

Calvin’s find is a denarius of Otho, who was one of the short-lived emperors during the Civil War period of AD 68-69. After the assassination of Galba on 15 January AD 69, Otho seized power. However, his position soon became untenable and he committed suicide on 17 April

On the obverse of this denarius is the bare head of Otho facing right and a legend reading IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P.  On the reverse the standing figure of Pax faces left and holds an olive branch and a long caduceus. The legend on the reverse reads PAX ORBIS TERRARVM.  In volume I of David Sear’s Roman Coins and Their Values denarii of this type are listed as number 2156.

This is a rare denarius so I certainly didn’t expect to see two examples within a few days. However, detecting seems to be prone to some quite amazing coincidences so just about anything can happen. Late last week an example of exactly the same denarius was featured on this website! 

Valuation

The first Otho denarius was scratched and worn but the one that came in this week is really outstanding. On the obverse the emperor’s hair is a bit flat on the high points but the coin is otherwise in good VF condition with eye appeal.  If I were cataloguing this denarius for sale at auction then I would set the pre-sale estimate no lower than £650-750.

Valuation Service

If you would like your coin identified or valued, please read about my valuation service and contact me