RIC 772 Domitian

AR Denarius, 2.48g
Rome mint, 95 AD
Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XIIII; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: IMP XXII COS XVII CENS P P P; Minerva stg. l., with thunderbolt and spear, shield at her l. side (M3)
RIC 772 (C2). BMC 224. RSC 287. BNC 202.
Acquired from Cerberus Ancient Coins, December 2015.

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.

The engravers in the last couple of years of Domitian's reign sometimes depicted his portrait with a slight upward tilt. Harold Mattingly described these portraits as 'eyes to heaven'. This coin shows it quite well.