Nomos 16

Vitellius, 69. As (Copper, 27 mm, 11.40 g, 5 h), commemorating Vespasian's victories during the Jewish War, Rome, June - December 69. A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG P M TR P Laureate head of Vitellius to right. Rev. VICTOR AVGVSTI /S C Victory advancing to left, fixing a shield onto a trophy; at the trophy's base, mourning male captive seated to left on a pile of shields. BMC 77. BN 122 (same dies!). Cohen 93. Hendin 757. RIC 176. Extremely rare and of great historical and numismatic importance. With an attractive dirty green patina. Uncleaned as found, otherwise, very fine.

From the collection of W. F. Stoecklin, Amriswil, Switzerland, acquired prior to 1975.

This coin has to have been issued to commemorate the Roman successes in the Jewish War (66-70/73), even though at the time it was struck Jerusalem had still not been captured. The reason for this is that Vitellius would not have celebrated his victory over Otho in this way, because that victory was over Roman citizens – not foreign enemies. Thus, showing a Roman as a seated captive would have been completely inappropriate. Quite clearly, the only Roman victory over foreign enemies (or, at least, enemies who were not Roman citizens; the vast majority of the people of Judaea were subjects, not citizens) had to be over the Jews. In any case, Vespasian almost immediately began issuing 'Judaea Capta' commemoratives as soon as he came to power; and the initial issues followed the prototypes struck by Vitellius. Compare the sestertii of Vitellius, BN 96 (BMC 62, Cohen 105, RIC 123) and 109 (BMC-, Cohen 94, RIC 142), with those of Vespasian as RIC 58 (which actually die links with a sestertius of Vitellius!). As for this type, it appears in the same manner on extremely rare dupondii of Vespasian (RIC 283) and ases (RIC 328 and 332). The great rarity of the Stoecklin coin is proven by the fact that it was struck from the same dies as the piece in Paris, which itself goes back to the great collector Joseph Pellerin (1684-1783) and was acquired for the state in 1776.