Yes, I needed this variety, but the stunning portrait really won me over. Titus as Caesar [Vespasian] Æ As, 11.12g Rome mint, 76 AD Obv: T CAESAR IMP COS V; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: AEQVITAS AVGVST; S C in field; Aequitas stg. l., with scales and rod RIC 911 (R). BMC p. 171 *. BNC 763. Acquired from Jongeling Numismatics, January 2023. Vespasian inherited a financial mess upon his accession in 69. His top priority was putting the state on a sound financial footing. Symbolic of that righting of the empire was the common reverse type of Aequitas. Aequitas holding her scales and measuring rod was probably based on a cult image of the deity. She first shows up as an imperial virtue on the coinage under Galba - a virtue that Vespasian was eager to emulate. This rare Aequitas was struck for both Vespasian and Titus Caesar in 76. Vespasian and Titus often shared the same reverse types, a move that no doubt marked Titus as Vespasian's heir to the throne. Missing from the BM. And in hand. Thank you for looking!
A really exceptional coin @David Atherton. Beautiful, congrats. I have a Titus COS III CENS not nearly as nice as yours (RIC II, Part 1 Vespasian 744; BMC.708$), so I was just checking the attributions, just for the fun of it According to BnF Gallica yours is Référence bibliographique : BNC III Vespasien 762 at https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b10447089r
