Vitellius, with Vitellius the Elder, 69. Denarius (Subaeratus, 18 mm, 3.69 g, 6 h), irregular mint, imitating Rome. A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG TR P Laureate head of Vitellius to right. Rev. L VITELLIVS COS III CENSOR Vitellius the Elder, togate, seated left on curule chair, feet on footstool, holding branch in his right hand and eagle-tipped scepter in his left. Cf. BMC p. 371, note, Cohen 55 and RIC 97 (for prototype). Very rare and attractively toned. Very minor breaks in plating on the edge, otherwise, very fine.


The reverse of this denarius shows the emperor’s father, Lucius Vitellius, seated on a curule chair, his feet resting on a footstool, and holding a branch and an eagle-tipped scepter. The accompanying legend, L VITELLIVS COS III CENSOR, indicates that he served as consul three times - an astounding achievement for someone outside the imperial family - and also held the office of censor. These distinctions helped to elevate the image of Vitellius himself, showing that he came from one of Rome’s most illustrious political families.