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Home > Members' Coin Collection Galleries > David Atherton > 2. The Reign of Titus - Imperial Coins
RIC 259 Divus Vespasian [Titus]
Æ Sestertius, 25.01g
Rome mint, 80-81 AD  
Obv: DIVO AVG VESPAS above; S P Q R in exergue; Deified Vespasian std. r. holding sceptre and Victory in car drawn by four elephants with riders
Rev: IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII; S C, large, in centre
RIC 259 (R2). BMC -. BNC -.
Acquired from Wallin Mynt, November 2019.

The coinage struck by Titus commemorating Divus Vespasian is closely modelled on those struck for Divus Augustus by Tiberius. The obverse of this coin shows a cult image of the defied Vespasian seated on a car drawn by four elephants, mounted by their riders (mahouts?). Presumably, this spectacular display was part of Vespasian's funerary pompa (would such a car drawn by elephants be realistically feasible?). The carnavalesque atmosphere of a Roman imperial funeral procession is readily apparent by this coin's obverse design. The reverse legend date with Titus as COS VIII places the coin between 80-81, at least a full six months after Vespasian's death on 24 June 79 (assuming the coins were produced contemporaneously with Vespasian's deification). Epigraphic evidence shows Vespasian had been deified sometime before 29 May 80. Why they were struck so late remains a mystery. Perhaps the delay for deification was an attempt on Titus' part to avoid his father becoming a court joke as Claudius had become, or so B. Levick has asserted. She believes the famous 'Woe's me ...' quip attributed to Vespasian is likely a later cruel jest parodying Claudius' last utterance 'Woe's me, I think I've messed myself'. Regardless, the political expediency of having a deified father likely overruled any such qualms. All of the sestertii of the Divus Vespasian series are rare - this particular specimen showcases a rare variant obverse legend (VESPAS instead of the slightly commoner VESP) and the reverse legend starting from the lower left.

Fine details with a slightly grainy surface.

RIC 259 Divus Vespasian [Titus]

Æ Sestertius, 25.01g
Rome mint, 80-81 AD
Obv: DIVO AVG VESPAS above; S P Q R in exergue; Deified Vespasian std. r. holding sceptre and Victory in car drawn by four elephants with riders
Rev: IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII; S C, large, in centre
RIC 259 (R2). BMC -. BNC -.
Acquired from Wallin Mynt, November 2019.

The coinage struck by Titus commemorating Divus Vespasian is closely modelled on those struck for Divus Augustus by Tiberius. The obverse of this coin shows a cult image of the defied Vespasian seated on a car drawn by four elephants, mounted by their riders (mahouts?). Presumably, this spectacular display was part of Vespasian's funerary pompa (would such a car drawn by elephants be realistically feasible?). The carnavalesque atmosphere of a Roman imperial funeral procession is readily apparent by this coin's obverse design. The reverse legend date with Titus as COS VIII places the coin between 80-81, at least a full six months after Vespasian's death on 24 June 79 (assuming the coins were produced contemporaneously with Vespasian's deification). Epigraphic evidence shows Vespasian had been deified sometime before 29 May 80. Why they were struck so late remains a mystery. Perhaps the delay for deification was an attempt on Titus' part to avoid his father becoming a court joke as Claudius had become, or so B. Levick has asserted. She believes the famous 'Woe's me ...' quip attributed to Vespasian is likely a later cruel jest parodying Claudius' last utterance 'Woe's me, I think I've messed myself'. Regardless, the political expediency of having a deified father likely overruled any such qualms. All of the sestertii of the Divus Vespasian series are rare - this particular specimen showcases a rare variant obverse legend (VESPAS instead of the slightly commoner VESP) and the reverse legend starting from the lower left.

Fine details with a slightly grainy surface.

File information
Filename:T259.jpg
Album name:David Atherton / 2. The Reign of Titus - Imperial Coins
Filesize:428 KiB
Date added:Nov 21, 2019
Dimensions:1600 x 815 pixels
Displayed:88 times
URL:https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=158762
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Comment 1 to 6 of 6
Page: 1

orfew   [Nov 21, 2019 at 05:24 AM]
A very nice acquisition
FlaviusDomitianus   [Nov 21, 2019 at 10:40 AM]
Nice addition.
Nemonater   [Nov 21, 2019 at 12:24 PM]
Awesome
*Alex   [Nov 21, 2019 at 12:54 PM]
Great coin. Congratulations.
gallienus1   [Nov 22, 2019 at 06:08 AM]
Rarely seen and very interesting. Congratulations!
quadrans   [Nov 24, 2019 at 08:40 PM]
wow, great coin, Shocked

Comment 1 to 6 of 6
Page: 1

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