RIC 564 Domitian

AR Denarius, 3.25g
Rome mint, 88 AD
Obv: IMP CAESAR DOMITIAN AVG GERMANICVS; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: COS XIIII across field; Minerva stg. r. on capital of rostral column, with spear and shield; to r., owl (M2)
RIC 564 (R2). BMC p. 328 *. RSC 68. BNC -.
Ex CNG E490, 21 April 2021, lot 296. From the Peter J. Merani Collection, purchased from Sam Kazmi.

This denarius is part of a short lived but remarkable issue struck in early 88. It features an extremely rare obverse legend (notice the full spelling of GERMANICVS and DOMITIAN) combined with the simple design of COS XIIII across the reverse field. Also of note, the TR P and IMP numbers are absent. Only a handful of specimens are known with RIC citing 3 examples from Berlin, Madrid, and a private collection. Missing from both the BM and Paris collections. All the coins from the series are struck on large flans in fine style.