157. Silver denarius
IMP VIIII COS XI CENSORIA POTESTAT P P, Minerva 4, RIC -;
These series announce the Censorship assumed by Domitian in April 85 A.D. This office allowed him to remove any member of the Senate on the basis of moral misconduct; however this was used as a powerful political weapon and Domitian assumed it for life later that year. His decision also brought him deep hate from the entire senatorial class, hence today's negative view on this emperor. Until the recent years only the Germania reverse type was known with these dates but the Minerva types surfaced too. I know about 5 specimens with the Minerva 4 reverse including this one, all from the same dies. There are some other specimens on which the reverse legend is written clockwise and an unique coin has the obverse legend with TR POT variant instead of the usual TR P.