RIC 003 Titus

AR Denarius, 3.16g
Rome mint, 24 June - July 1, 79 AD
Obv: IMP T CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: CERES AVGVST; Ceres stg. l., with corn ears and poppy and sceptre
RIC 3 (R). BMC 105. RSC 31a. BNC -.
Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection.

This denarius of Titus was struck in the first week or so of his reign in June of 79 AD. The reverse type of Ceres standing is a carry-over from Titus as Caesar under Vespasian. Many of Titus's first reverse types were a continuation of those produced for him as Caesar under Vespasian, probably because the mint needed time to adjusted for a new series. The Ceres reverse is not rare under Vespasian, but is extremely so under Titus as Augustus. RIC gives a rarity rating of 'rare', which to me seems a bit off. I've only seen three of these in trade in 7 years. Perhaps the representation of the type in major collections is overdone?

At any rate, this specimen is a fine example of an early Titus denarius.