Lot 100
Rome. Domitian, as Caesar, 71-79 AD. AR Denarius (3.18 g), Rome mint, struck 76 AD. Laureate head of bearded Domitian right. Reverse: Pegasus standing right, the wings upright and one leg lifted; COS IIII. RIC (Vespasian) 238; BMCRE 193 (Vespasian); CBN 169. Sharply struck on perfect metal, lustrous with iridescent toning. Outstanding high-relief portrait: the arrogance and unbalance which would clearly become manifest later in his reign is already hinted at in this likeness. NGC graded Uncirculated.
Struck under Vespasian, this reverse device was already seen in the coinage of Augustus, a denarius of 19 BC, struck in conjunction with the Etruscan-surnamed moneyer, P. Petronius Turpilianus (RIC 297; CBN 147).
As the progenitor of an upstart dynasty, Vespasian re-employed both on his coinage and in the other arts a plethora of Augustan motifs. This was part of a propagandistic program to reassure the public of his continuity with, and the legitimacy of his succession to, the now defunct Julio-Claudian line of rulers. Among those themes particularly emphasized, were those of a bucolic or agricultural nature -- these to reinforce in the public's mind notions of growth, stability, and his devotion to the strengthening of the Roman's traditional economic and agrarian values, all of which suffered in varying degrees during the nearly two years of civil war following Nero's assassination.
Estimated Value $800 - 900.
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| Realized $3,960 |
