Domitian as Caesar AR Denarius 75 CE

Domitian as Caesar Denarius 75 CE

18mm., 3,21g.

Obv: Head leaureate r; CAES AVG F DOMIT COS III

Rev: Spes stg l with flower; PRINCEPS IVVENTVT

RIC 788 [Vespasian] BMC 156

Ex: Savoca Blue 19thauction April 21, 2019 Lot 1143

I am interested in the minor variations that occur in the Minerva series for Domitian. I have a lot of fun tracking down the attributions by deciphering the legends on these coins. Every once in a while I find a rarity others have overlooked because of the seemingly monolithic nature of the Minerva denarii. So, when I find a coin like this one that does not feature Minerva, I am motivated to grab it. The figure on the reverse of this coin is SPES or "Hope" with a flower in her hand. The legend announces Domitian as the Prince of Youth.

I also find that I like the portraits on these coins for Domitian as Caesar. They are of a completely different character than the later portraits. Not that the later portraits are not good, in fact some are spectacular. Please see other posts on this blog for some examples.

RIC lists this as a common coin but I do not think they appear very often at all. While I really like the Minerva series I will always take the opportunity to add a non Minerva denarius to my collection.