Anniversary of the Death of Emperor Domitian

[LONGINUS]

 

On September 18, 96 AD (or there about ), Emperor Domitian

fell to the blades of his attackers.

Several days prior, Minerva had appeared to the emperor in a dream, and

announced that she had been disarmed by Jupiter and could no longer

give Domitian her protection.

 

Four of my favorite Domitian coins

Please feel free to post your favorite Domitian, Minerva, or fallen emperor coins.

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by LONGINUS

[ambr0zie]

My favorite Domitian coin (with his portrait) remains the first one I bought. 

16 mm, 3,84 g.
Thrace, Sestos. Domitian 81-96. Ӕ.
ΔΟΜΙΤΙΑ-ΝΟϹ ΚΑΙϹΑΡ, laureate head of Domitian, right / ϹΗϹΤΙWΝ, lyre.
RPC II, 359; SNG Cop 948; Moushmov 5542; Mionnet 93; BMC 16.

 

Mandatory Minerva denarius 

20 mm, 3,00 g.
Domitian 81-96 AD. AR denarius. Rome. 87 AD.
IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VII, head of Domitian, laureate, right / IMP XIIII COS XIII CENS P P P, Minerva advancing right, holding spear and shield.
RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 517; Old RIC 100(c); RSC 228.

 

Another bold portrait (the color of this coin is fantastic but I do not guarantee it's not just paint)

 

27 mm, 10,73 g.
Domitian 81-96. AD. Ӕ as. Rome. 90-91 AD.
IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XV CENS PER P P, bust of Domitian, laureate, right / FORTVNAE AVGVSTI S C, Fortuna standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae.
RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 707; Old RIC 394.

 

My most interesting Domitian coin is not with his portrait - it is the famous quadrans with the rhinoceros!

17 mm, 2,14 g.
Domitian 81-96. Æ quadrans. Rome. 84-85.
Rhinoceros walking left / IMP DOMIT AVG GERM around large S C.
BMC 498; Cohen 674; RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 251; Old RIC II 435; Sear RCV I (2000), 2835.

[CPK]

I'm always happy to share this one. 😉

[AncientOne]

Most recent and favorite too!

Cilicia, Irenopolis. Domitian Æ20

Obv: ΔΟΜΙΤΙΑΝΟϹ ΚΑΙϹΑΡ; / laureate head of Domitian, r.
Rev: ΜΒ in r. field / Nemesis advancing r., pulling fold of her robe below neck, holding winged caduceus downwards; wheel at feet.
AD 92/3
RPC II, 1765

[Roman Collector]

The obligatory Minerva denarius. The die-engraver omitted the P in TR P from this one.


Domitian, AD 81-96.
Roman AR denarius, 3.44 g, 17.2 mm, 7 h.
Rome, AD 91.
Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR XI (error; should read TR P XI), laureate head, right.
Rev: IMP XXI COS XV CENS P P P, Minerva advancing right, brandishing a javelin and holding a shield.
Refs: RIC 156; RIC² 724; BMCRE p. 336, note; Cohen 269; RCV --.

 

[The_Collector]

Thank you for this post @LONGINUS! If it weren’t for this post I would have never researched the last coins struck under Domitian(shame on me as a Flavian Fanatic haha). As a result I found one of my favorite and probably rarest coins ever! The coincidence was unbelievable the day after you made this post I looked it up on @David Atherton expansive collection of Domitian denarii and found out that we can date Domitian’s last denarius as being struck for only four days before he was assassinated. We can be this precise based on him receiving his 16th year of tribunician powers on September 16 96 AD  and being assassinated around the 18th. This of course makes coins with TRP XVI  extremely rare as @David Atherton said “they are as rare as chicken’s teeth and the one of rarest of the Domitian denarii.” With all that said, I thought I’d never own one.
The only one of my variety on acsearch sold back in 2013 at Triton. So you can imagine my surprise when the next day I saw on eBay one for sale and jumped on it after double checking with David. So without further ado, the last coin of the emperor Domitian!

[David Atherton]

2 hours ago, The_Collector said:

Thank you for this post @LONGINUS! If it weren’t for this post I would have never researched the last coins struck under Domitian(shame on me as a Flavian Fanatic haha). As a result I found one of my favorite and probably rarest coins ever! The coincidence was unbelievable the day after you made this post I looked it up on @David Atherton expansive collection of Domitian denarii and found out that we can date Domitian’s last denarius as being struck for only four days before he was assassinated. We can be this precise based on him receiving his 16th year of tribunician powers on September 16 96 AD  and being assassinated around the 18th. This of course makes coins with TRP XVI  extremely rare as @David Atherton said “they are as rare as chicken’s teeth and the one of rarest of the Domitian denarii.” With all that said, I thought I’d never own one.
The only one of my variety on acsearch sold back in 2013 at Triton. So you can imagine my surprise when the next day I saw on eBay one for sale and jumped on it after double checking with David. So without further ado, the last coin of the emperor Domitian!

Fantastic addition! Glad you got one of these!

[Julius Germanicus]

Here is a rare left facing Sestertius. Could someone give me the new RIC number of this (I am no Flavian expert):

 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Julius Germanicus

[friedberg]

Hello Julius Germanicus,

The piece should be: RIC II 1² Domitian 104 (R / rare).

http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2_1(2).dom.104

Kind regards.

[AETHER]

Little late to the party..

My only Domitian, which I thought was RIC 188, but I can only make out TR P X. So maybe RIC 721. AR Denarius, Minerva Standing. 

Edited November 12, 2023 by AETHER

[Prieure de Sion]

On 9/18/2023 at 10:04 PM, LONGINUS said:

Please feel free to post your favorite Domitian, Minerva

If you think so ... I have a whole series of Domitian & Minerva issues... 🙂 

 

In the order RIC 669, 670, 689, 690, 719, 720, 761, 763, 764, 787, 788, 790

 

 

 

 

But this two following examples my style favorites... 🙂 

 

 
Titus Flavius Domitianus as Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus.; Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 87 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 19mm; Weight: 3.33g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 509; Provenance: Ex Nomisma Numismatico San Marino; Obverse: Head of Domitian, laureate, right. The Inscription reads: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VI for Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Sexta (Imperator, Caesar, Domitian, Augustus, conqueror of the Germans, high priest, holder of tribunician power for the sixth time); Reverse: Minerva standing left, holding thunderbolt and spear; shield at side. The Inscription reads: IMP XIIII COS XIII CENS P P P for Imperator Quartum Decimum, Consul Tertium Decimum, Censor Perpetuus, Pater Patriae (Imperator for the 14th time, consul for the 13th time, censor for life, father of the nation).

 

 
Titus Flavius Domitianus as Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus; Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 93/94 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 19mm; Weight: 3.50g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 764; Provenance: Superior Galleries Numismatics New York; Obverse: Head of Domitian, laureate, right. The Inscription reads: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XIII for Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Tertia Decima (Imperator, Caesar, Domitian, Augustus, conqueror of the Germans, high priest, holder of tribunician power for the 13th time); Reverse:cMinerva standing left, holding spear. The Inscription reads: IMP XXII COS XVI CENS P P P for Imperator Secundum Vicesimum, Consul Sextum Decimum, Censor Perpetuus, Pater Patriae (Imperator for the 22nd time, consul for the 16th time, censor for life, father of the nation).

 

[David Atherton]

1 hour ago, Prieure de Sion said:

If you think so ... I have a whole series of Domitian & Minerva issues... 🙂 

 

In the order RIC 669, 670, 689, 690, 719, 720, 761, 763, 764, 787, 788, 790

 

 

 

 

But this two following examples my style favorites... 🙂 

 

 
Titus Flavius Domitianus as Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus.; Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 87 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 19mm; Weight: 3.33g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 509; Provenance: Ex Nomisma Numismatico San Marino; Obverse: Head of Domitian, laureate, right. The Inscription reads: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VI for Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Sexta (Imperator, Caesar, Domitian, Augustus, conqueror of the Germans, high priest, holder of tribunician power for the sixth time); Reverse: Minerva standing left, holding thunderbolt and spear; shield at side. The Inscription reads: IMP XIIII COS XIII CENS P P P for Imperator Quartum Decimum, Consul Tertium Decimum, Censor Perpetuus, Pater Patriae (Imperator for the 14th time, consul for the 13th time, censor for life, father of the nation).

 

 
Titus Flavius Domitianus as Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus; Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 93/94 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 19mm; Weight: 3.50g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 764; Provenance: Superior Galleries Numismatics New York; Obverse: Head of Domitian, laureate, right. The Inscription reads: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XIII for Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Tertia Decima (Imperator, Caesar, Domitian, Augustus, conqueror of the Germans, high priest, holder of tribunician power for the 13th time); Reverse:cMinerva standing left, holding spear. The Inscription reads: IMP XXII COS XVI CENS P P P for Imperator Secundum Vicesimum, Consul Sextum Decimum, Censor Perpetuus, Pater Patriae (Imperator for the 22nd time, consul for the 16th time, censor for life, father of the nation).

 

Wow! Plate coin perfect!

[David Atherton]

On 11/12/2023 at 3:20 AM, Julius Germanicus said:

Here is a rare left facing Sestertius. Could someone give me the new RIC number of this (I am no Flavian expert):

 

Could be either RIC 77 (COS VII DES VIII) or RIC 104 (COS VIII DES VIIII). I can't read the reverse legend from the photo, perhaps in hand you can see a bit more to figure out which RIC number it is?

Edited November 13, 2023 by David Atherton

[Julius Germanicus]

On 11/13/2023 at 3:06 AM, David Atherton said:

Could be either RIC 77 (COS VII DES VIII) or RIC 104 (COS VIII DES VIIII). I can't read the reverse legend from the photo, perhaps in hand you can see a bit more to figure out which RIC number it is?

 

Thank you David!

My coin seems to be indeed RIC 104, as it is a die match to the specimen in the British Museum which shows a clear DES VIIII::

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_R-11288