What a portrait

I was looking for a Denarius from Domitian who became struck in the 80's (84-88). However, I could not find the desired example for the right price and when I saw this coin I quickly changed my mind.



CAESAR DIVI F DOMITIANVS COS VII
laureate head right.
PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS
lighted & garlanded altar.

Domitian Caesar 69-81
AR Denarius
Struck 80-81
3,08g/19mm
Ric 266 (Titus)
Ex Künker

I am impressed by the beautiful portrait and the toning on the coin. I think it is the most beautiful coin that I have ever bought, although my Vespasian Pax with early portrait is also beautiful. The reverse has some stickiness but it doesn't bother me, moreover it makes a coin like this affordable for a collector like me. The coin is more beautiful in hand than the pictures show because it is very zoomed in.

The reverse shows an altar. It is linked to the opening of the Colosseum as well as to the series to make the gods favorable after various disasters such as the eruption of Vesuvius and the city fire of 80. which of the two it is I leave in the middle, it is to the experts to say something about that.

Partly due to the excellent write-ups of @David Atherton and @Orfew, I start to wonder more and more whether I should perhaps start collecting Domitian. However, I am not quite sure yet because I have often spoken about a specific collection goal and have had to keep coming back to it.

I would almost forget that it is someone's birthday because of the many writing.
Today 1968 years ago the youngest son of Flavius Vespasian was born in a house in Rome. His name is DOMITIAN!

Therefore, please show your coins of the birthday boy. And if you want, also the coin with your favorite portrait (that can of course also be a Domitian).

 

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What an interesting portrait! He looks awestruck and a bit apprehensive, like he's facing a daunting task.

Happy birthday, big D!


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).
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/


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

 

It's a wonderful coin, love the toning on it.


Domitian (81 - 96 A.D.)
SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch
AR Tetradrachm
O: AVT KAISAR DOMITIANOS SEB GERM, laureate head right; aegis at point of bust.
R: ETOUS NEOV IEROV H, eagle standing facing right on thunderbolt; palm in right field. RY 8 (88/9 AD)
14.77g
26mm
Prieur 145; RPC II 1978; Wruck 108

 

...wow! ..i'm older than Domitian..(my Bday was the 15th(1958))...nice coin! View attachment 101417

 

Great coin Parthicus, love the portrait and toning.
Domitian, 81-96. As (Copper, 29 mm, 11.21 g,), Rome, 14 September-31 December 88. IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VIII CENS PER P P Laureate head of Domitian to right. Rev. COS XIIII LVD SAEC FEC / S C Domitian standing front, head to left, sacrificing out of patera over altar; to left, harpist and flute-player standing right; in the background, hexastyle temple, eagle in pediment. BMC 434. Cohen 85. RIC 623.

 

While most members will show a denarius or sestertius, I'll show a dupondius. RIC admits that whether it is a dupondius or an as is uncertain.



CAESAR DIVI AVG VESP F DOMITIAN COS (Caesar, son of the deified Augustus Vespasian, Domitian, Consul)
CERES AVGVST, Ceres standing left holding grain ears and long torch, S C either side.
29-28 mm. 8.39 grams.
RIC (under Titus) 333, page 218. Rome mint. Struck 80 under Titus.

 

Nice denarius! Unfortunately, I do not have an earlier portrait of Domitian.

Here's my As

Domitian (81-96 AD)
AE As

Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XV CENS PER P P, laureate head right. Rev: VIRTVTI AVGVSTI, S C across field, Virtus standing right, holding parazonium and sceptre, left foot on helmet.

RIC II 709
Ex: Calgary Coin

 

Opposing portrait styles:


DOMITIAN
AE As
OBVERSE: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XI CENS POT P P, laureate head right, aegis at tip of bust
REVERSE: MONETA AVGVSTI, S-C, Moneta standing left, holding scales & cornucopiae
Struck at Rome, 85AD
11.7g, 27mm
RIC 384

DOMITIAN
AE As
OBVERSE: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XVI CENS PER P P, laureate head right
REVERSE: MONETA AVGVSTI, Moneta standing left, holding scales and cornucopia
Struck at Rome, 92-94AD
10g, 26mm
RIC 756

 

Domitian


RI Domitian AR Denarius 81-96 CE Minerva thunderbolt spear shield protruded chin COS XV CENS PPP RIC 726

 

Domitian denarius..This photo was taken by a late friend of mine ...The coin was not cleaning at all..

 

I'd wish him a happy birthday but he was kind of a huge jerk...
That being said, I have only one Domitian. He is a bit green but I like him anyways. I'd like to add others at some point.


Domitian
AE As
86 AD
Obverse: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XI CENS PER PP, laureate head right, with aegis
Reverse: VIRTVTI AVGVSTI S-C, Virtus standing right, holding spear and parazonium

 

Domitian, A.D. 81-96

AE 25, 11.7 grams - SYRIA, Antioch ad Orontem

Obverse: DOMITIANVS CAESAR, Laureate head left

Reverse: Large SC within laurel wreath, representing Coele-Syria

Reference: RPC 2016, BMC 246

Ex-Eng, Ex-JAZ, Ex-JB Good, Ex-Ira Ettinger Collection

 

Great coins all

 

A beautiful coin indeed! Domitian inherited the same mint crew that operated under Vespasian and Titus. The engravers were skilled, competent, and at times artistically talented. Your coin is not struck with Friday afternoon dies.

That same mint crew that produced your coin also struck this one for Domitian as Caesar under Titus. It has one of my favourite portraits of the Birthday boy.




Domitian as Caesar
Æ Sestertius, 24.01g
Rome mint, 80-81 AD (Titus)
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
RIC 294 (C). BMC 231. BNC 238.
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).

 

Sorry for the bad pics





Domitian. As Caesar, AD 69-81. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.43 g, 5h). Rome mint. Struck under Titus, AD 80-81. Laureate head right / Crested Corinthian helmet on draped pulvinar. RIC II 271 (Titus); RSC 399a.

 

@H8_modern Your username cracked me up!.....Sums up my feelings too

 

The call to show Domitian comes up here more often than I have been buying new coins of his so I tend to post the same old ones (my best). This time I'll post one I do not recall whether I have posted or not. Perhaps I should start keeping a list of what I hae shown here to avoid always using the same coins.

Domitian dupondius / Minerva - this coin was my first with a DES legend showing that the emperor was scheduled to assume another (here 9th) consulship on January first. It also was my first really extremely unevenly struck coin. It has rather little wear but loses a lot of detail and legend to the terrible strike. I am no expert on these but see this one as likely barbarous or branch mint (by style). I would appreciate comments on this matter from Domitian experts. I bought it from the estate of a friend over 30 years ago for $14.

 

While not my area anymore, I've got 2 coins of Domitian that I just can't part with yet to buy more Roman Republicans.

Domitian, Denarius circa 88-96, AR 3.51 g. IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG P M Laureate head r. Rev. DIVVS CAESAR IMP DOMITIANI F Infant seated on globe, raising both hands; around him, seven stars. RIC 209a (hybrid). BMC –. C –. CBN –.

Extremely rare hybrid with perhaps only 2-3 examples known.



Domitia AR-Denarius, 3.56g. Rome, 82-83 Obv.: DOMITIA AVGVSTA IMP DOMIT Drapped bust r. Rev.: DIVVS CAESAR IMP DOMITIANI F Boy l., on globe., stars. RIC 213; Coh. 11.

This is the correct, intended die pairing.

 

Here is my rough and worn Domitian...
I do love the size and heft of this coin in hand ...35mm, 30.75 grams

 

Thanks, but then I buy something modern and feel like a hypocrite