Vitellius, 69 Aureus Tarraco January-April 69, AV 19mm., 6.91g. A VITELLIVS – IMP GERMANICVS Laureate head l. Rev. CLEMENTIA IMP – GERMAN Clementia, draped, seated l., holding branch and long sceptre. C 9. BMC 79. RIC 1. CBN 5 var. (GERMAN on obverse). Calicó 539b.

Very rare. About Very Fine.

Most of the coinage of Vitellius was struck at the mint of Rome, where he accepted from the senate the title of Augustus and established his administration. However, the Civil War of A.D. 68-69 involved most every province in the empire, so it is not surprising that other mints struck imperial (and provincial) coins on his behalf. As testimony there are three aurei of Vitellius in this sale from a Spanish mint, usually identified as Tarraco. The style and fabric of these coins is different from the Rome mint products, and distinguishing them is a comparatively easy task. This aureus celebrates the clementia, or clemency, of Vitellius – always an appealing sentiment during a civil war. The obverse and reverse inscriptions both include the title imperator and his surname Germanius, both of which Suetonius (Vitellius 8) tells us he received at the outset of his insurrection from the army of Upper Germany (the legions in the province he governed when Galba was murdered). We may note that Vitellius does not employ the title Augustus, which he did not start using until it was conferred upon him by the senate in Rome on April 19. Thus, all three of the Spanish-mint aurei of Vitellius in this sale were struck during his tenure as imperator, from early January to April 19. Some of Vitellius’ other Spanish-mint aurei addressed the armies, upon whose support Vitellius relied. One notable type, inscribed CONSENSVS HISPANIARVM, celebrates the approval he received from the Spanish army that originally had supported Galba. Others are directed toward all of Rome’s armies (FIDES or CONSENSVS EXERCITVVM) or specifically toward the Praetorian guardsmen (FIDES or CONCORDIA PRAETORIANVM), whom he would have to win over by the time he arrived in the capital.