Another Rare Galba Denarius

Galba. AD 68-69. AR Denarius
(17mm, 3.51 g, 6h).
Spanish mint (Tarraco?).
Struck circa April-late AD 68.
Obv: GALBA IMP Laureate bust right, [globe at point of bust]
Rev: VIRTVS, Virtus standing left, holding Victory in extended right hand, cradling parazonium with left arm.
RIC I 31; RSC 333a. Fine, toned
Ex: CNG 417, Lot 427 March 28, 2018 (sold for 360.00 plus fees)
Ex: CNG 425, Lot: 403. July 25, 2018

It certainly pays (literally in this case) to do one's research. I saw this in the latest CNG sale and I was interested in it. First, it has one of those interesting small head portraits.

From Sutherland (1984)

"There was, curiously,
a noticeable tendency towards much smaller and more compact portrait-
heads, seen for example in RIC I', nos. 14, 20, 23a, 28a, 29, 29a, 30, 30a,
31 (PL. I. 15) and 32."

Second, it is attributed to a Spanish mint. third it has an interesting die link.

From Sutherland (1984)
RIC F, no. 29a (B.M. (1935), rev. S P Q R on shield in wreath) shares an obv.
die with no. 31 (Oxford, rev. Virtus).

Most importantly I just liked it. When I researched the coin before the hammer fell I found out that this coin was the only example in CoinArchives. However it was listed twice. Today's auction was listed as upcoming, but the same coin was also listed in a CNG sale from March 2018. The very good news for me (and not so much for the seller) is that in March the coin hammered for almost exactly twice what I got the coin for today. All things considered; the rarity, the Virtus reverse (that is 3 I have now) the interesting portrait, and the irresistible price, made this coin a must have.

So now I will be on the lookout for Galba denarii minted in Narbo or otherwise in Gaul, and well as those minted in Carthage.