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RIC 002 Titus
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AR Denarius, 3.17g
Rome mint, 79 AD
Obv: IMP T CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: ANNONA AVG; Annona std. l., with sack of corn ears
RIC 2 (R2). BMC specimen acquired 1934. RSC -. BNC -.
Ex eBay, November 2014.
The Annona reverse type struck for Titus Caesar is quite common and copies the same reverse struck contemporarily for Vespasian. It was also struck briefly for Titus after becoming emperor on 24 June, 79 AD. The type is very rare for him as Augustus, perhaps minted in the space of a week prior to the TR P VIIII dating on 1 July. Evidently the mint did not have new reverse types prepared for the new princeps and so recycled those struck for him as Caesar during that first week.
This is an extremely rare type for Titus as Augustus and certainly the rarest of the first issue. The new RIC cites three specimens (BM, Vienna, private collection), mine will make the fourth that I know of and it is a die match with the BM specimen.
Better in hand than the photo indicates.
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