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RIC 562 Domitian
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AR Denarius, 3.45g
Rome mint, 88 AD
Obv: IMP CAES DOMITIAN AVG GERMANICVS; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: COS XIIII across field; Minerva adv r., with spear and shield (M1)
RIC 562 (R). BMC 141. RSC 67. BNC -.
Ex Spink eAuction 18055, 7 November 2018, The Michael Kelly Collection of Roman Coins part 2, lot 95.
In 88 AD Domitian struck a brief special issue of Minerva denarii with unusual obverse legends and austere reverse designs. The obverse legends deviate from the usual formula, sometimes spelling out fully DOMITIANVS and/or GERMANICVS and lacking a TR P number. The reverses feature only a terse legend across field with the IMP number absent. Here is an example from this rare issue with GERMANICVS spelled out on the obverse and the consular number across field on the reverse. Why the mint was experimenting with the legends and the layout of the reverses in 88 is a mystery. Perhaps the issue was struck in conjunction with a special event that year (the Secular Games?) and are commemorative in nature. Regardless, the mint soon returned the denarius to its conventional Minerva arrangement, hinting that these scarce issues were indeed struck for a special occasion.
Struck in good style.
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