Yes, I do collect all things Flavian, but I also try to focus on certain niches within that broad and diverse coinage - one of which are the silver issues of Titus. 2021 has already seen me add a few spectacular rarities that fall into that sub speciality. Andrew sold me this extremely rare RIC plate coin. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-167714 And I recently won this unique Titus at auction. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-169065 Now, I can happily add this fantastically rare denarius struck for Titus as Caesar under Vespasian. Titus as Caesar [Vespasian] AR Denarius, 3.42g Rome Mint, 79 AD Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIANVS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l. Rev: TR POT VIII COS VII; Venus stg. r., leaning on column, with helmet and spear RIC 1078A (R3). BMC -. RSC -. BNC -. Ex Numismatik Naumann Auction 100, 7 March 2021, lot 462. Second known specimen of this Venus Victrix type with obverse bust left. Harry Sneh reported an example to the RIC authors who then assigned it as RIC 1078A in the RIC II.1 Addenda. Oddly, these two specimens are from different dies. It is part of Vespasian's last denarius issue struck before his death on 24 June 79. Venus is depicted here with a helmet and spear as the goddess of both love and war. The type would later be struck as a carry-over reverse for Titus as Augustus until the mint designed new reverse dies specifically for him. The coin was mistakenly advertised as unique by the auction house, likely because the Addenda still remains to be published. Thank you everyone for taking the time to look at and read about these amazing Flavian coins!
Great find @David Atherton! You have a good eye for these rarities. Have you been able to find die-matches with other types?
Left facing portrait busts for Titus Caesar in this issue are mythically rare (as the Venus type demonstrates). I have an example of the quadriga type from the same issue with portrait left, but it is not a match. Titus as Caesar [Vespasian] AR Denarius, 3.19g Rome mint, 79 AD Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIANVS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l. Rev: TR POT VIII COS VII; Quadriga l., with flower RIC 1074 (R). BMC -. RSC -. BNC 228. Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection. The RIC authors must have known of several examples in order to assign it a frequency rating of 'rare', but only one specimen is cited from Paris.
Congratulations on acquiring such a rarity, @David Atherton! I have a Flavian with a bare-bottomed Venus Victrix! Julia Titi, c. AD 79-90/91. Roman AR denarius, 3.2 gm, 20.0 mm, 7 h. Rome, AD 79-81. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA TITI AVGVSTI F, bust of Julia, draped and diademed, right, hair in long plait. Rev: VENVS AVGVST, Venus standing right, leaning on column holding helmet in right hand and transverse spear in left hand. Refs: RIC2 388; BMCRE 141-143; Cohen/RSC 14; RCV 2612.
