Denarius - Vitellius and Lucius Vitellius Pater (L VITELLIVS COS III CENSOR) (69) front Denarius - Vitellius and Lucius Vitellius Pater (L VITELLIVS COS III CENSOR) (69) back
Denarius - Vitellius and Lucius Vitellius Pater (L VITELLIVS COS III CENSOR) (69) photo
© Trustees of the British Museum

Denarius - Vitellius and Lucius Vitellius Pater L VITELLIVS COS III CENSOR

69 year
Silver 3.2 g 18 mm
Description
Issuer
Rome › Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD)
Emperor
Vitellius (Aulus Vitellius) (69)
Type
Standard circulation coin
Year
69
Value
1 Denarius
Currency
Denarius, Reform of Augustus (27 BC – AD 215)
Composition
Silver
Weight
3.2 g
Diameter
18 mm
Shape
Round (irregular)
Technique
Hammered
Demonetized
Yes
Updated
2024-10-05
References
Numista
N#244140
Rarity index
97%

Reverse

Lucius Vitellius, togate, seated left on curule chair, extending right hand and holding eagle-tipped sceptre in left

Script: Latin

Lettering: L VITELLIVS COS III CENSOR

Translation:
Lucius Vitellius, Consul Tertium, Censor
Lucius Vitellius, consul for the third time and censor

Comment

Mass varies: 3.2–3.29 g;
Source: Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE)
Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Interesting fact

One interesting fact about this coin is that it features an image of Lucius Vitellius Pater, who was the father of the Roman emperor Vitellius, on the reverse side. This is a unique feature, as it is one of the few times that a Roman coin featured a family member of an emperor rather than the emperor himself.