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RIC 090A Titus
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AR Denarius, 2.75g
Rome mint, 79-80 AD
Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l.
Rev: CERES AVGVST; Ceres stg. l., with corn ears and poppy and sceptre
RIC 90A (R3). BMC -. RSC -. BNC -.
Ex NN London Auction 9, 29 October 2022, lot 329.
The reverse type of Ceres standing is a carry-over from Titus as Caesar under Vespasian. Many of Titus' first reverse types as Augustus were a continuation of those produced for him as Caesar during the last years of Vespasian's reign, probably because the mint needed time to adjusted for a new series. The Ceres reverse is not rare under Vespasian, but is extremely so under Titus as Augustus, being struck for just a few days at the start of the reign. This undated left facing portrait variety of the type with a later obverse legend is unique and previously unpublished. This is either a mule pairing an old reverse die from Titus' first denarius issue with a left facing portrait die from a later issue, or it is an exceedingly rare carry-over type intentionally struck, perhaps for only a few days (hours?). It fits in neatly with a similar unique undated aureus of the type (RIC 90). I contacted RIC II.1 co-author professor Ian Carrdadice about this new discovery and he has confirmed the coin as a new variety for Titus and has assigned it as RIC 90A in the upcoming Addenda & Corrigenda.
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