Recently, I acquired a small group of Domitian denarii that has some fairly rare coins among its number. This rare denarius from 84 is a notable one. Domitian AR Denarius, 2.93g Rome mint, 84 AD RIC 184 (R2), BMC - , RSC - Obv: IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG GERMANIC; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: P M TR POT III IMP V COS X P P; Minerva stg. l., with thunderbolt and spear; shield at her side (M3) Ex Private Collection. In 82 AD when Domitian overhauled the mint and increased the fineness of the denarius, he also apparently brought in new engravers who began working in a more elaborate, idealised style. The second denarius issue of 84 is the first to employ the new style and it would dominate the denarius issues for the rest of Domitian's reign. Domitian adopted the title GERMANICVS in the first issue of 84, shortening it to GERMANIC here in the second issue, all of which are extremely rare. This denarius from the second issue is a fine example of the new idealised style with its large portrait and delicately rendered features. RIC cites two specimens of the type, none of which are in the BM, Paris, or Cohen. Notably, the coin is a detectorist find from outside the boundaries of the Empire in Eastern Europe. Darkly toned and somewhat porous (which accounts for the low weight).
It's really satisfying acquiring these rarities, but they can sometimes be a pain in the hind quarters to catalogue - and that takes up a lot of time! I was really surprised to see how rare this one was when looking it up in the major references - it's even missing from Ian Carradice's monograph on Domitian's coinage.
I haven't been lucky enough to come across anything so rare just yet. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much when I saw that Minerva reverse, so I was in for a pleasant surprise. Great coin!
Admittedly, Domitian's Minerva series at first glance appears to be quite monolithic, but hidden within are some scarce issues based on rare dating combinations. Thankfully for me these rarities are ignored or overlooked by most collectors. Hunting them down can be quite fun!
Yes, it is part of the fun of this hobby. I spent a couple of hours pouring over old auction catalogues looking for other specimens or die matches and it was quite challenging, although very rewarding.
Ummm, I'm always tempted to post Dom the Bomb ... but I think I'll pull-up lame this time around! David-A => congrats on scoring another Domitian winner
Congrats David with your rare early denarius, At that time he still was a good emperor. Later on he became a tyrant and insatiably cruel , finally murdered in a complot led by his wife Domitia in 96 AD. His successor Nerva was the first of the 5 good emperors. Here's a late denarius of Domitian:
