Silver Denarius of Domitian as Augustus RIC 145

Silver Denarius (19mm, 3.39g) Struck A.D. 89.in Rome

Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VIIII Laureate head right

Rev: IMP XXI COS XIIII CENS P P P Minerva standing left, holding thunderbolt and spear, at her feet, a shield

RIC-II 145 Ex William C Boyd (1840-1906) Collection, Baldwins Auction (42) 9/26/2005, Purchased by Mr. Boyd from "Seltman" (C.T. Seltman (1868-1952) of Cambridge Univ.. academic author and ocassional coin dealer) in April 1898

Domitian had a massive obsession with Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and war. He considered her his personal protector, so he put her on almost all of his silver coins. Roman coins were basically tiny, metallic billboards used for imperial propaganda, and this one is a classic example.

The Front (Obverse)

This side features a classic portrait of Domitian wearing a laurel wreath, looking off to the right. The Latin abbreviation wrapping around his head is a giant laundry list of his royal titles:

• IMP CAES DOMIT AVG: Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus (The Supreme Commander, Caesar, Domitian, the Emperor).
• GERM: Germanicus. He added this title after fighting Germanic tribes on the frontier to brag about his military victories.
• P M: Pontifex Maximus. This meant he was the High Priest and absolute head of Roman religion.
• TR P VIIII: Tribunicia Potestas IX. This shows he was holding his "tribunican power" (the power to veto laws and protect the people) for the 9th time. Because this power was renewed every year, it tells historians the exact date of the coin: 89 AD.

The Back (Reverse)

The back shows the goddess Minerva standing tall, looking fiercely to the left. She is decked out for battle, holding a spear in one hand and a giant thunderbolt in the other, with her shield resting at her feet.

The text around her continues Domitian’s brag sheet, noting his updated offices for that specific year:

• IMP XXI: Imperator XXI. This means the Roman army officially shouted "Hail, Victorious Commander!" to him for the 21st time after a military success.
• COS XIIII: Consul XIV. He was serving as Consul (essentially the co-president/prime minister of Rome) for the 14th time.
• CENS P: Censor Perpetuus. Domitian made himself "Perpetual Censor," giving him the lifetime power to control the membership of the Roman Senate and judge everyone's morals.
• P P: Pater Patriae (Father of the Country). A highly prestigious title reserved for the ultimate leader.

History & Pedigree

Ancient coins pass through many hands over the centuries, and this specific piece has an awesome modern history (called its pedigree).

This actual coin was bought in April 1898 by a famous collector named William C. Boyd. He bought it from Charles Seltman, a legendary academic and author from Cambridge University who dabbled in coin dealing. It sat in Boyd's family collection for over a hundred years until it was finally auctioned off in London in 2005.