My most recent acquisition is yet another Domitian issue. Domitian AR Denarius, 3.12g Rome mint, 88-89 AD RIC 665 (R2), BMC p. 331 *, RSC 247b Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VIII; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: IMP XVIII COS XIIII CENS P P P; Minerva stg. l., with thunderbolt and spear; shield at her l. side (M3) A very rare denarius from Domitian's third issue of 88-89 recording his 18th imperial acclamation. Domitian was campaigning against the Dacians in 88 and presumably that is the likely explanation for most of the imperial acclamations during the time period. Those denarii with IMP XVIII are some of the rarest and were probably struck for just a few days. A military diploma dated 7 November, 88 records Domitian as IMP XVII, therefore this tiny issue must have been struck soon after that date at the end of 88 and/or very early in 89. RIC speculates mid December 88. All the denarii from this issue are quite scarce. Struck in average style on a tight flan.
LOL. His later issues after 88 are hit and miss style wise, especially the larger ones in the early to mid 90's. All in all, the style on this denarius isn't bad, it just doesn't ascend to the heights his engravers were achieving earlier that same year, IMHO. Early in the reign Domitian paid particular attention to the goings on at the mint, even employing the best engravers. Later, with all the wars being waged, perhaps he had other fish to fry and lost interest in the minutiae of his coinage.
How many of us have a coin that can be narrowed down to a minting period of just a few days? Another nice catch and nice history lesson David!
Many have coins that were issued for a few days but the unusual part of this one is our being able to specify which few days with more accuracy. Coins were issued with special types for special events certainly including distributions of donatives. The best have some legend variation, as does the OP, to help. My Domitian carries the title of Augustus so it dates after the death of Titus in September but shows he has designated assumption of a Consulship on January 1 so the coin falls before that date. The special case here is the coin lacks the title TRP but there are others of this type that do bear it so this one falls after September and before the date Domitian assumed TRP. Not all emperors used the same date for this. I would have expected Domitian to have taken it on the same day he took AVG but it seems he did not. Research needed.
A most wonderful example of the this carry-over pulvinaria type! It is engraved in quite splendid style. Regarding the sequence of the first issues: Domitian assumed the titles AVG, IMP, and TRP immediately upon his accession on 13/14 September 81. The coins bearing only these titles were struck for the first month or so of the reign. The next issues bearing the additional titles PP and PONT (or later PM) and COS VII (DES VIII) were struck sometime after October until the end of the year. The records of the Arval Brethren do not record Domitian as Pontifax Maximus by 30 October, presumably he was awarded that title soon after in early November. Your coin employs a common obverse legend that was certainly last in sequence for the issues of 81 because it is also used on coins showing Domitian as COS VIII in 82.
I have one of these early issues of Domitian. Domitian. AR denarius (18.15 mm, 3.36 g, 7 h). Rome mint, struck A.D. 81. Obv: IMP CAESAR DOMITIANVS AVG, laureate head right Rev: TR P COS VII, draped throne, back decorated with grain ears. RIC 3; BMCRE 2; RSC 554a. Ex: William Rosenblum Coins Ex:Agora Auctions March 22, 2016 lot 52-174 Purchased from Agora Auctions March 22, 2016.
neat! i always dig coins that can be dated. slightly off topic, but some parthian coins have the month they were minted on them, below the figures on the reverse here... Volgases IV, Tetradrachm. 147-191 AD O: Diademed bust left, wearing tiara; B behind / Greek legend, Vologases seated left on throne, Tyche standing right before him, presenting a diadem and holding sceptre; year (Seleucid 464, 152 AD), month below (November),Seleucia on the Tigris mint, 26 mm, 13.6 g. Sellwood 84.12-5; Shore 427.
That is a great example of the rare triangular throne type from the first issue, so struck between mid September and late October. Of note, this triangular throne is only seen in the first issue, all the other subsequent issues have the semicircular frames.
I'm not familiar with the series, but can appreciate them from afar. Someday I would like to obtain a few Parthian coins that were struck during the Flavian era.
Yummy-yummy, V70 ... great OP-addition (congrats) Ummm, yah I never get tired of posting this fine beauty ... => Dom, The Bomb!!
Congrats on snagging that super cool, scarce denarius @vespasian70 !! Wonderfuls posts guys!! Love the portraits and varying reverses...and the fact they can be so precisely dated. WOW @stevex6 , that is a fantastic example!! The artistry appears superb to me. Coincidentally, I'm after a variation that @Orfew posted.....but with a 'Corinthian Helmet' above the 'pulvinar'.
That pulvinaria type was only struck for Domitian Caesar under Titus and did not carry-over into his reign. They are fairly common so it should be easy to obtain one. Domitian as Caesar AR Denarius Rome Mint, 80 AD RIC T271 (C2), BMC T98, RSC 399a Obv: CAESAR DIVI F DOMITIANVS COS VII; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS; Square seat, draped with cloth hanging in folds, with tassels: on it, crested Corinthian helmet
So far, I've found a few but I still can't clarify the use of that particular reverse. It doesn't seem to commemorate a war or rebellion in Corinth during the reign of Titus so I'm guessing it's a 'restitutor' type of earlier Republican issues??? Otherwise, what was it meant to communicate?
"The coins below are a new type to the Roman series, and termed pulvinaria, or sacred couches of the gods. While Mattingly attributed these to the eruption of Vesuvius, recent scholarship tends to place these commemorating the opening of the Colosseum, at which there may have been seats for honored guests." I just ran across this explanation on FORVM (RE: Lucas Harsh) and it makes the puvinaria denarii even cooler than I imagined.....But what does the 'Corinthian Helmet' have to do with it??
