ROMAN EMPIRE, Domitian, Denarius

Silver denarius, Rome later part of 81 A.D., Carradice 81.2a var., noted page 13
IMP CAES DIVI VESP F DOMIT AVG PONT, laureate head right
P P COS VII DES VIII, Wreath set on curule chair.

This is just the third known specimen with the interesting obverse legend which combines the "DIVI VESP F" variant and the "PONT" variant. The "DIVI VESP F" coins are rather easy to obtain from the bulk of the 81 AD coinage while the "PONT" coins are rare. A combination of the two only seem to occur on just two obverse dies used to strike very few curule chairs coins and the second for altar coins. Also the reverse legend is a scarce one, lacking the "TR P" mention. The other two surviving coins from these dies are: one in the Institut fur Antike Numismatik in Vienna and one from the Leo Benz collection, sold in 1999 as Lanz 94 lot 377.