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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 2308763, member: 82616&quot;]They both arrived this week just in the nick of time to be counted for 2015. Neither denarius is extremely rare or unusual, but both have interesting portraits and no major flaws.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]465035[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Domitian</b></p><p>AR Denarius</p><p>Rome mint, 82 AD</p><p>RIC 95 (C), BMC 28A, RSC 595</p><p>Obv: IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG P M; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.</p><p>Rev: TR POT COS VIII P P; Curule chair, wreath above</p><p><br /></p><p>Coined at the very beginning of 82, just before Domitian overhauled the mint and increased the fineness of the denarius. The type is a continuation of the &#039;pulvinaria&#039; series, most likely struck as a stop-gap until the mint master finished preparations for the new reverse designs. </p><p><br /></p><p>In good early veristic style with a rich dark tone.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]465036[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Domitian</b></p><p>AR Denarius</p><p>Rome mint, 95 AD</p><p>RIC 772 (C2), BMC 224, RSC 287</p><p>Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XIIII; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.</p><p>Rev: IMP XXII COS XVII CENS P P P; Minerva stg. l., with thunderbolt and spear, shield at her l. side (M3)</p><p><br /></p><p>Domitian held the consulship in 95, which dates this denarius between 1 January and 13 September of that year. Flavian specialist Brian Jones speculates that during 95/96 Domitian waged a campaign against the Iazyges in the vicinity of Singidunum. This military activity may account for the large issues of denarii struck during the final years of the reign. Admittedly, tying denarius issues to military campaigns is guess work at best.</p><p><br /></p><p>The engravers in the last couple of years of Domitian&#039;s reign sometimes depicted his portrait with a slight upward tilt. Harold Mattingly described these portraits as &#039;eyes to heaven&#039;, similar to those struck much later for Constantine the Great.</p><p><br /></p><p>Happy New Year everyone![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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