Otho Coins
Marcus Otho Caesar Augustus
Marcus Salvius Otho had been a close friend and companion of Nero before being sent as governor to Lusitania. After Galba's adoption of Piso denied him the succession he expected, he organised the Praetorian coup that killed Galba. His reign lasted only three months before Vitellius's Rhine legions defeated him at Bedriacum; rather than prolong the civil war, Otho committed suicide, an act widely praised by contemporaries as nobly Roman.
Otho's reign is historically significant primarily for his manner of death, which ancient authors used to rehabilitate him from his Neronian past. Numismatically, his coins are among the rarest of any principal Roman emperor; a genuine aureus of Otho in fine condition commands exceptional prices at auction.
Key Events
Coinage
Otho's coinage is extremely rare owing to his brief reign of under ninety days. All known issues were struck at Rome. His portrait types share the laurel wreath and cuirassed bust of previous emperors, and the reverses echo Julio-Claudian themes of Securitas and the divine favour of the gods, types chosen to suggest legitimacy.
Denominations
Notable Types
- SECVRITAS PR (Security of the Roman People) aureus
- PAX ORBIS TERRARVM types
- PONT MAX TR P COS denarius types
Common Reverses
Active Mints
Related Resources
Further Reading
- Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I (revised),
- The Twelve Caesars,