I was really thrilled when this coin recently arrived in the mail. It's much better in hand than I had initially hoped. Titus as Caesar Æ As, 11.03g Rome mint, 76 AD (Vespasian) RIC 914 (R). BMC 728. Obv: T CAESAR IMP COS V; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: S C in field; Spes stg. l. with flower Acquired from eBay, April 2019. A small issue of bronze was struck by the Rome mint in 76. The asses of this issue were produced on larger than normal flans (27-28mm) and at a slightly heavier weight. Surprisingly, this Spes type from 76 struck for Titus Caesar is fairly rare with many specimens sharing this coin's die combination. Spes was a fairly common reverse type of the dynasty and was likely copied from a well known cult statue. As the goddess of hope, she is the perfect 'heir apparent' personification for a future emperor. As Mattingly put it in BMCRE II - 'The flower is an opening bud, she is raising her skirt in order to hasten forward.' A very pleasing coin sporting a rich coppery hue.
Nice, with great eye appeal, I can't help but notice your AE Flavian collection moving along at a rapid speed with some great acquisitions. Congrats and keep up the good work David.
Thanks! I'm really enjoying the bronze. It has breathed new life into my collection and my collecting!
Very nice Spes, David! It looks great digitally, so I can only imagine how nice it is (and heavy) testing in your hand. I'm a big fan! Here's my humble version: Titus (as Caesar), Ruled 79-81 AD AE As, Struck by Vespasian in 77-78 AD, Lugdunum Mint Obverse: T CAES IMP AVG F TR P COS VI CENSOR, Head of Titus, laureate, right; globe at point of neck. Reverse: Spes standing, left holding flower in right and raising skirt with left (anepigraphic), S-C across field. References: RIC II (Vespasian) 1273 Size: 28mm, 8.7g
