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<p>[QUOTE="David Atherton, post: 3421419, member: 82616"]How often can you narrow down a coin's date to just four days? Most Roman coins can only be narrowed down to a year or so, perhaps a few months. My latest addition can be dated to just a few days.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]908373[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Domitian</b></p><p>AR Denarius, 3.42g</p><p>Rome mint, 96 AD</p><p>RIC 821 (R2). BMC 237D. RSC 297b.</p><p>Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XVI; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.</p><p>Rev: IMP XXII COS XVII CENS P P P; Minerva, winged, flying l., with spear and shield</p><p>Ex eBay, jerusalemhadaya2012, 4 March 2019.</p><p><br /></p><p>Domitian achieved tribunician power for the 16th time on 14 September 96 AD. He was assassinated in a palace plot four days later on the 18 September. In between those two dates the mint struck only one issue of denarii recording Domitian as TR P XVI, needless to say they are extremely rare! The Senate decreed Damnatio Memoriae within a day of Domitian's assassination which would have quickly halted production at the mint for his coinage. The months leading up to Domitian's assassination saw the mint at Rome experimenting with many new reverse designs (altar, winged Minerva, Maia, temple reverses), breaking the monotony of the four standard Minerva types that had previously dominated the denarius. These new types are exceedingly rare and were perhaps experimental in nature. This denarius shows one of these new reverse types, Minerva Victrix, a more warrior like attribute of the goddess. The fact that this new type which originally appeared on the denarius when Domitian was TR P XV carried over to the briefly struck TR P XVI issue may hint that there was indeed change in the air at the mint. Perhaps the new types hint at a transition regarding the typology on his precious metal coinage? Regardless, the experiment was cut short by an assassin's blade, so we shall never know. This denarius may very well be the last coin ever struck for Domitian. Same dies as the BM specimen.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is only the second denarius I've been able to acquire from the elusive last issue (my other example being the Minerva standing left with spear, RIC 820). While doing research on my new Minerva Victix, I came across the Triton XVI example of the type. <a href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=223212" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=223212" rel="nofollow">https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=223212</a> I didn't pay nearly that amount for mine because it was misattributed. A very good thing it wasn't in a high profile auction! The CNG coin write-up notes there is a 'trace of an aegis' at the point of the bust. My example, although from different dies, shows the same thing. However, I believe these are not aegises at all, but rather just the manner in which the neck lines were engraved.</p><p><br /></p><p>Please post your narrowly dated coins!</p><p><br /></p><p>Special thanks to [USER=88526]@Jay GT4[/USER] for photographic assistance.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="David Atherton, post: 3421419, member: 82616"]How often can you narrow down a coin's date to just four days? Most Roman coins can only be narrowed down to a year or so, perhaps a few months. My latest addition can be dated to just a few days. [ATTACH=full]908373[/ATTACH] [B]Domitian[/B] AR Denarius, 3.42g Rome mint, 96 AD RIC 821 (R2). BMC 237D. RSC 297b. Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XVI; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: IMP XXII COS XVII CENS P P P; Minerva, winged, flying l., with spear and shield Ex eBay, jerusalemhadaya2012, 4 March 2019. Domitian achieved tribunician power for the 16th time on 14 September 96 AD. He was assassinated in a palace plot four days later on the 18 September. In between those two dates the mint struck only one issue of denarii recording Domitian as TR P XVI, needless to say they are extremely rare! The Senate decreed Damnatio Memoriae within a day of Domitian's assassination which would have quickly halted production at the mint for his coinage. The months leading up to Domitian's assassination saw the mint at Rome experimenting with many new reverse designs (altar, winged Minerva, Maia, temple reverses), breaking the monotony of the four standard Minerva types that had previously dominated the denarius. These new types are exceedingly rare and were perhaps experimental in nature. This denarius shows one of these new reverse types, Minerva Victrix, a more warrior like attribute of the goddess. The fact that this new type which originally appeared on the denarius when Domitian was TR P XV carried over to the briefly struck TR P XVI issue may hint that there was indeed change in the air at the mint. Perhaps the new types hint at a transition regarding the typology on his precious metal coinage? Regardless, the experiment was cut short by an assassin's blade, so we shall never know. This denarius may very well be the last coin ever struck for Domitian. Same dies as the BM specimen. This is only the second denarius I've been able to acquire from the elusive last issue (my other example being the Minerva standing left with spear, RIC 820). While doing research on my new Minerva Victix, I came across the Triton XVI example of the type. [url]https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=223212[/url] I didn't pay nearly that amount for mine because it was misattributed. A very good thing it wasn't in a high profile auction! The CNG coin write-up notes there is a 'trace of an aegis' at the point of the bust. My example, although from different dies, shows the same thing. However, I believe these are not aegises at all, but rather just the manner in which the neck lines were engraved. Please post your narrowly dated coins! Special thanks to [USER=88526]@Jay GT4[/USER] for photographic assistance.[/QUOTE]
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