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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 4143469, member: 82616&quot;]Two recent arrivals have given me a great amount of pleasure over the past week.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first is this dupondius of Titus with a superb smiling portrait.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1071293[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Titus</b></p><p>Æ Dupondius, 11.40g</p><p>Rome mint, 80-81 AD</p><p>Obv: IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P COS VIII; Head of Titus, radiate, bearded, r.</p><p>Rev: VESTA in exergue; S C in field; Vesta std. l., with palladium and sceptre</p><p>RIC 212 (C). BMC 200. BNC 203.</p><p>Ex eBay, 9 February 2020.</p><p><br /></p><p>It&#039;s not unusual at the start of a reign for the Rome mint to strike coin types that conjure up feelings of familiarity and continuance. Vesta is certainly one of those types and Titus&#039; moneyers made full use of her propaganda value. She frequently appears on the bronze coinage with her message of religious piety and security. Her main attribute here is the palladium - a wooden cult image of Pallas Athena which oversees the safety and well being of Rome.</p><p><br /></p><p>The second arrival is this fantastic book on the Colosseum by Nathan T. Elkins.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1071262[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>This is one of best treatments on the monument I&#039;ve come across. Elkins weaves together the latest scholarship to tell the story of the Colosseum&#039;s early days under the Flavian emperors. I can&#039;t recommend this book enough!</p><p><br /></p><p>It&#039;s kind of fitting that the Titus dupondius arrived within the same week - a coin that possibly was minted near or during the Colosseum&#039;s inaugural 100 days of games.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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