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RIC 0985 Titus as Caesar [Vespasian]
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AR Denarius, 3.53g
Rome Mint, July 77 AD - December 78 AD
Obv: T CAESAR VESPASIANVS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: IMP XIII in exergue; Goatherd std. l., milking goat l.
RIC 985 (R). BMC 230. RSC 103. BNC 204.
Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection.
This type had been one of my 'dream coins' since I started collecting Flavian denarii. A very tough coin to find and one I couldn't resist. Curiously enough, it has a frequency rating of rare in RIC, as does the more common Vespasian variant of the type. I think the Titus is a bit rarer.
It is quite obvious that this reverse is part of an agrarian propaganda series. Unlike the goat referring to Jupiter as seen on a denarius of Domitian as Caesar (RIC 267 (Titus), this type has rustic overtones.
I love this reverse, well centered and fairly clear. Unfortunately, I only have the old dealer's pic.
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