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RIC 0635 Titus as Caesar [Vespasian]
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Æ As, 10.08g
Rome mint, 73 AD
Obv: T CAES IMP PON TR P COS II CENS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: S C in exergue; Titus stg. r., with branch and sceptre, in quadriga r.
RIC 635 (R). BMC -. BNC 688.
Acquired from Marc Breitsprecher, September 2019.
In 71 AD Vespasian and Titus held a double triumph celebrating their victory in the recently concluded Judaean War. The spectacular triumph was held a few days after Titus' arrival from the East in June and could be viewed as his effective homecoming party. Mary Beard has shrewdly observed that the triumph served as 'the Flavian coronation, the official launch party and press night of the Flavian dynasty.' It was the first time after Vespasian's rise to the purple that the whole family could be seen together by the Roman populace. Vespasian and Titus were identically dressed riding in matching quadrigas while Domitian trotted alongside on a splendid mount. By showcasing his eldest son on an equal footing in the procession, it left little doubt who would succeed after his death. Coins were struck in all metals to commemorate the event. Here is a rare As with a reverse depicting Titus Caesar in a triumphal quadriga, a clear commemoration of the joint triumph. Oddly, this type is more commonly seen in silver from Antioch. The piece serves as a superb memento of the 'Greatest Show on Earth' triumph put on by the Flavian regime in the late First century.
Not in the BM. RIC cites only a specimen in the Paris collection (BNC 688), a double die match with this coin as pointed out by C. Clay.
Worn, but the major devices are still quite visible.
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