The Pannonian war of 89 against the Marcommani and Quadi produced a flurry of imperial acclamations awarded to Domitian. Consequently, many of the denarii struck at the time are part of some very reduced issues, some lasting only a few days. My new acquisition is one such coin. Domitian AR Denarius Rome mint, 88-89 AD (sixth issue) RIC 676 (R2), BMC -, RSC - Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VIII; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: IMP XXI COS XIIII CENS P P P; Minerva stg. l., with thunderbolt and spear; shield at her l. side (M3) TRP VIII and IMP XXI is a very scarce dating combination on Domitian's denarii. The rarity of the dating indicates it was most likely struck for a short period of time, perhaps only for a few weeks or days prior to 14 September 89, upon which Domitian became TRP VIIII. Notable personally as the first coin from this issue I have acquired.
You made me go back and double check all my Domitian coins. I do not have one with the TRP VIII and IMP XXI combination. The closest I have is TRP VIII/IMP XIX combo. Ya gotta love the Domitian portraits. There was a complete change in his appearance from beginning to end of his reign.
Domitian, as we are told by the ancient sources, was quite vain. He employed the best engravers for his revitalised Rome mint he could find. They in turn produced magnificently idealised portraits. Those struck between 84-88 are the high-water mark of this style. Later, the style remained top notch, but did not consistently reach the same heights.
Interesting coin and great history. I think we are now reassessing of historical view of Domitian, however. The man ruled for fifteen years and relatively peacefully. Here's a quote from the often wrong (but this time correct) Wikipedia: Over the course of the 20th century, Domitian's military, administrative and economic policies were re-evaluated. In his monograph, Jones concludes that Domitian was a ruthless, but efficient autocrat. For the majority of his reign, there was no widespread dissatisfaction with the emperor or his rule. His harshness was felt by only a small, but highly vocal minority, who later exaggerated his despotism in favour of the well-regarded Nervan-Antonian dynasty that followed. Domitian's foreign policy was realistic, rejecting expansionist warfare and negotiating peace at a time when Roman military tradition dictated aggressive conquest. His economic program, which was rigorously efficient, maintained the Roman currency at a standard it would never again achieve. Persecution of religious minorities, such as Jews and Christians, was non-existent. Domitian's government nonetheless exhibited totalitarian characteristics. As Emperor, he saw himself as the new Augustus, an enlightened despot destined to guide the Roman Empire into a new era of Flavian renaissance. I think common sense and numismatic evidence have often changed our views of history: guy
Apparently Domitian's likeness (and reputation) was so memorable that centuries later an unfriendly writer compared Emperor Justinian to him in appearance. I can kind of see it in my solidus of him, so there may be some truth in the writer's claim.
