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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 3604608, member: 82616&quot;]Sometimes in the summer I come down with the rare flu bug Titus-itus. One of its main symptoms is an overwhelming desire to purchase coins of Titus. This sestertius from Titus&#039; mystery &#039;Thracian&#039; mint satisfies the craving ... temporarily.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]964898[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Titus</b></p><p>Æ Sestertius, 24.38g</p><p>Eastern Mint (Thrace?), 80-81 AD</p><p>RIC 498 (C). BMC 309. RPC 501.</p><p>Obv: IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.</p><p>Rev: PAX AVGVST; S C in field; Pax stg. l., with branch and cornucopiae</p><p>Acquired from Munthandel G. Henzen, June 2019.</p><p><br /></p><p>A mystery mint struck coins for Titus sometime between 80-81. The style (heavily seriffed letters, large portraits, and massive reverse figures), unique obverse legends (DIVI VESP F for Titus), and uncommon fabric (flat, almost convex flans) all suggest a mint other than Rome. Attributing exactly where these coins were struck has historically been a moving target - Mattingly in BMCRE thought Lugdunum, H.A. Cahn believed somewhere in Bithynia. More recent scholarship has looked towards Thrace as a possible location for production based on the Balkan distribution pattern of found specimens. Although the region of mintage has been narrowed down, the city itself remains elusive. RPC has suggested possibly Perinthus. Presumably a shortage of bronze coins in the region during Titus&#039; reign prompted a localised imperial issue. The striking of imperial bronze outside of Rome was an exceptional step at the time considering the last imperial branch mint at Lugdunum had shuttered late in Vespasian&#039;s reign. The issue consisted of sestertii, dupondii, asses, and semisses which copied types struck at Rome. This sestertius with its massive portrait and large reverse figure is quite typical for this elusive mint. The reverse copies a common Pax type struck contemporaneously at Rome. </p><p><br /></p><p>Feel free to post any coins that satisfied a craving.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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