RIC 500 Titus

Æ Sestertius, 24.04g
Eastern Mint (Thrace?), 80-81 AD
Obv: IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: IVD CAP; S C in field; Palm tree; to l., Judaea std. l. on arms; to r., captive stg. r.
RIC 500 (R2). BMC p. 433 note. BNC -. RPC 503 (1 spec.). Hendin 1596.
Acquired from Incitatus Coins, May 2020.

The Jewish War was a gift that kept on giving for the Flavian dynasty. This rare Judaea Capta sestertius was struck a decade after the fall of Jerusalem for Titus as Augustus. The new emperor wished to remind the Roman populace of his military bona fides. The coin is from of a very mysterious issue of bronze struck in 80-81. The style (heavily seriffed letters, large portraits, and massive reverse figures), unique obverse legends (DIVI VESP F for Titus), and uncommon fabric (convex flans) all suggest a mint other than Rome. Attributing exactly where these coins were struck has historically been a moving target - Mattingly in BMCRE thought Lugdunum, H.A. Cahn believed somewhere in Bithynia. More recent scholarship has looked towards Thrace as a possible location for production based on the Balkan distribution pattern of found specimens. Although the region of mintage has been narrowed down, the city itself remains elusive. RPC has suggested possibly Perinthus. Presumably a shortage of bronze coins in the region during Titus' reign prompted a localised imperial issue, which in the main copied types from Rome. The striking of imperial bronze outside of Rome was an exceptional step at the time considering the last imperial branch mint at Lugdunum had shuttered late in Vespasian's reign.

This later variant of the type differs from those stuck under Vespasian by the shortened reverse legend and the presence of a yoke(?) to the right of the standing captive.

Worn, but the major devices are intact. An honest piece.