Brass Dupondius of Domitian as Caesar Under Titus RIC 165a

Brass Dupondius (26mm 11.11g) Struck A.D 80-81 . Rome

Obv: CAES DIVI AVG VESP F DOMITIAN COS VII Laureate head right

Rev: CERES AVGVST S C Ceres standing left, holding ears of corn adn a loing torch

RIC II 165a (Titus)
ex. Harry Stewart Collection

The Big Picture: Who and When?

The coin features Domitian, but he wasn't the emperor yet when this was made. At this specific moment in history, his older brother Titus was the big boss (the Emperor or Augustus). Domitian held the junior title of Caesar, meaning he was the second-in-command and the official heir to the throne.

The Flavian family loved using coins like this as ancient billboards to tell the public, "Don't worry, everyone! Our family has the next ruler all lined up, so the empire is safe and stable."

The Front Side (Obverse)

This side features a portrait of young Domitian looking to the right, wearing a laurel wreath. The Latin letters stamped around the edge read:

CAES DIVI AVG VESP F DOMITIAN COS VII

Here is what all those abbreviations actually mean:

• CAES: Caesar (The junior ruler/heir).
• DIVI AVG VESP F: Divi Augusti Vespasiani Filius — this translates to "Son of the Divine Emperor Vespasian." Their dad, the previous emperor Vespasian, had died and been officially declared a god by the Roman Senate. Domitian is bragging here that his dad is a god!
• DOMITIAN: His name.
• COS VII: Consul for the 7th time. The Consul was one of the highest political offices in Rome. Counting how many times someone held it helps historians pin down the exact year the coin was made.

The Back Side (Reverse)

The back of the coin focuses on a theme of peace and abundance. It features Ceres, the ancient Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, and motherly love (where we get our modern word "cereal"!). She is standing there holding ears of corn (grain) in one hand and a long torch in the other.

The letters read: CERES AVGVST S C

• CERES AVGVST: Ceres Augusta — linking the goddess of food and plenty directly to the generosity and blessings of the Emperor's family. It’s a way of saying, "Under our rule, the food supply is safe, and nobody will go hungry!"
• S C: Senatus Consulto — this means "By Decree of the Senate." It proves the coin was official legal tender authorized by Rome's governing body, not just a random token.