Sometimes a coin calls to you and it is futile to resist. Although at the time I was not looking for a Domitian as Caesar sestertius, when I saw this large beauty in Olding's Pricelist 96 I knew I had to have it. Domitian as Caesar Æ Sestertius, 24.01g Rome mint, 80-81 AD (Titus) RIC 294 (C). BMC 231. Obv: CAES DIVI AVG VESP F DOMITIANVS COS VII; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: S C in field; Minerva adv. r., with spear and shield Acquired from Olding, MA Shops, May 2019 = Olding, List 96, March 2019, Sammlung Fritz Reusing, no. 177. From the collection of Fritz Reusing (1874-1956), inherited and continued by Reusing's nephew Paul Schürer (1890-1976). An exquisite sestertius struck for Domitian as Caesar under Titus featuring his patron deity Minerva. DIVI AVG VESP F tells us the coin was struck after Vespasian's deification. The date of Vespasian's consecratio is dated by the epigraphic evidence sometime between September 8, 79 - May 29, 80, therefore this sestertius could not have been struck much earlier than June 80. The Minerva reverse was one of the more common types struck during this second bronze issue for Domitian Caesar under Titus. Although fine portraits can occasionally be seen on the silver, it is on the larger canvas of the bronze where the full flower of Roman imperial portraiture can be seen. This sestertius has one of the finest portraits of Domitian I've come across. A superb example of the imperial engraver's art. Formerly from the collection of the early 20th Century German portrait painter Felix Reusing, I would like to think he appreciated this coin's beauty and received some inspiration from it. Feel free to post any coins that 'called' to you.
That is a beautiful example of an ancient bronze that has not been horribly messed with! That is how they should look, old and dignified. John
Here's a Domitiantus destertius that called me. Not a 'choice award' winner in the surfaces category. But I love it. I read somewhere that it may depict the clasping of hands before the war with the Dacians
My Domitian sestertius of the Titus period is Spes and completely black. Your nose seems a bit more hooked.
Nice one, David, although I have mixed feelings about you extending your greedy little hands range to include bronzes . I hope you stick to imperial bronzes! Here's a homely but fantastic Domitian that called to me. Isis Thermouthis-- Isis with the body of a snake-- how could I not answer the summons? EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitian AE obol, 20 mm, 5 gm regnal year 10, CE 90/91 Obv: laureate head right Rev: AVTKAIΣAPOMITIANOΣΣEBΓEPM; Isis-Thermouthis standing right; LI in right field Ref: Emmett 321.10, R5; RPC 2593; Geissen 376 To give a clearer idea of the reverse, here's an ancient Egyptian terra cotta sculpture of the deity (image from Wikipedia, artifact from the Louvre): Here's a not-homely and definitely fantastic bronze of Domitian that screamed at me: EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitian Regnal year 10, CE 90/91 Æ diobol (25mm, 10.86 g, 12h) Obv: AVT KAICAP ΔΟ ΜΙΤ CEB ΓΕΡΜ, laureate head right Rev: Agathodaemon serpent, wearing the skhent crown (emblematic of upper and lower Egypt), on horseback galloping left; L I (date) below Ref: Köln –; Dattari (Savio) –; K&G 24.109; RPC II 2585; SNG Copenhagen 214; Emmett 277.10 (R5). Provenance: Ex Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection Ex West Coast/Lloyd Beauchaine Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 41, 19 March 1997), lot 1110 Ex Classical Numismatic Review Vol. XVI, No. 1 (January 1991), lot 31 Ex Numismatic Fine Arts Fall Mail Bid Sale (18 October 1990), lot 2365 Appearances: Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 39 (this coin) Emmett, Alexandrian Coins; obverse illustrated as the header for the Domitian section, p. 24 (this coin) and fully illustrated on p. 26 as a featured (this coin) Sear, Roman Coins and Their Values, Vol. I, #2868, p. 511 (this coin) https://www.cointalk.com/threads/so-these-exist-snake-cowboys.314032/ I could go on and on with coins that called to me but since this is your post, I'll stick to Domitians .
Nice coin @David Atherton , great portrait, well centered and with just the right amount of crusties. I am reading a book set in Rome about the time of your coin. (I think someone here posted the book.) Deadly Election: A Flavia Albia Mystery by Lindsey Davis. I have read several books in this series, but none in a few years. I bought the book because it had a RR voting coin on the front. I was not pleased when the book arrived and had no coins!!!!! This one called to me (suckered me in?) with a description of lovely gold toning. I have plenty of PISO coins, and this one does not have interesting die marks. In hand it looks like someone dipped / plated it gold.
Agreed. That's one added advantage of these old provenanced coins collected before the smoothing and tooling craze.
LOL! Well, I am indeed concentrating on imperial for the present. But your Alexandrian Domitian is one of my favourite coins that's ever been posted on CT! Maybe by the time I start moving into Alexandrian bronze you will have fulfilled your wishlist.
To be honest, it's been ages since I've read anything by Davis. Her use of modern British slang in her Falco series kept pulling me back to the present day. I never really felt like it was 'ancient' fiction. Does she still do that with the new series? Conversely, the children's book author Caroline Lawrence does a terrific job of weaving a tale set in Flavian Rome that feels appropriate. Even though her Roman Mysteries series set during the reign of Titus is aimed at middle school kids, they are cracking good reads that really don't sugar coat the ancient world and its barbarity. I'm currently reading the last book in her latest series The Roman Quests, set in the last year of Domitian's reign. It makes a nice coda to the previous series.
