Posted 12/05/2011 08:09 am
I see nothing wrong about this coin, BUT these Otho coins are faked perhaps as much or more then most high-end coins. Do you know the auction house and do they have a guarantee? You don't say the price, but Otho coins can be pricey. If the price is too good to be true, then it probably is. I believe this Otho is RIC 10, so one of the more common types, common be relative in this case.
When I was in the market for an Otho, I emailed perhaps one of the foremost authorities on Otho coins about rarity of issues. Here was his response:
"there are 15 different Otho denarii and it is very unlikely more can be found. They were minted in three series of five types each. The first issue had the long obverse IMP M (RIC 4, 8, 14, 16, 17), the second the short IMP (RIC 2, "6r", 10, 6, 12)and the third this in combination with PONT MAX reverse (RIC 19, "20s", 21, 22, 24). Using RIC numbers the frequency of the types is, starting with the commonest:
8, 10, 4, "6r", "20s", 14, 19, 24, 16, 17, 12, 21, 22, 6, 2
RIC 14 is substantially rarer that the SECVRITAS and PAX coins with right facing Otho (the left facing ones are very much rarer) and it is rarer than the commonest PONT MAX type, Ceres."
If you are not in any particular hurry, I can contact this authority to see what he thinks of your coin. But only if you wish.
When I was in the market for an Otho, I emailed perhaps one of the foremost authorities on Otho coins about rarity of issues. Here was his response:
"there are 15 different Otho denarii and it is very unlikely more can be found. They were minted in three series of five types each. The first issue had the long obverse IMP M (RIC 4, 8, 14, 16, 17), the second the short IMP (RIC 2, "6r", 10, 6, 12)and the third this in combination with PONT MAX reverse (RIC 19, "20s", 21, 22, 24). Using RIC numbers the frequency of the types is, starting with the commonest:
8, 10, 4, "6r", "20s", 14, 19, 24, 16, 17, 12, 21, 22, 6, 2
RIC 14 is substantially rarer that the SECVRITAS and PAX coins with right facing Otho (the left facing ones are very much rarer) and it is rarer than the commonest PONT MAX type, Ceres."
If you are not in any particular hurry, I can contact this authority to see what he thinks of your coin. But only if you wish.
