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RIC 1494 Domitian as Caesar [Vespasian]
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AR Denarius, 2.81g
Ephesus (?) mint, 76 AD
Obv: CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r., 'o' mint mark below neck
Rev: COS IIII above; Pegasus r.
RIC 1494 (R2). BMC 488 bis. RSC 47 var. RPC 1465 (1 spec.). BNC -.
Ex G&N, eBay, 27 August 2015.
An unknown eastern mint struck a spate of denarii in 76 which copied many contemporary types from Rome. Both RIC and RPC speculate it possibly could be Ephesus, citing a similar style with a previous Ephesian issue from 74 and the use of an annulet as a mint mark. The issue is extremely rare. This denarius copies the much more common Pegasus type struck at Rome for Domitian. Domitian's connection to this unusual type perhaps can be explained by Pegasus' association with Athena/Minerva, Domitian's patron goddess. These eastern denarii are understandably confused with the issues from Rome, however, they can be distinguished by style and the annulet (if visible) below the bust.
A fine styled, nicely toned denarius.
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