Domitian Copper As, RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 707

Monetary Context and Denominational Function

Under the Flavian emperors, the Roman base-metal coinage system maintained the standard denominational relationships established during the Augustan monetary settlement, operating alongside reformed silver and gold currencies. The as functioned as the standard unit of daily retail accounting and low-value exchange throughout the Western provinces and Italy. Within this framework, four asses equaled one brass sestertius, two asses equaled one brass dupondius, and one as could be divided into two copper semisses or four copper quadrantes. Domitian enacted an ambitious currency reform in AD 82 that raised the fineness and weight of the silver denarius and brought refined technical quality to aes production. Although the silver standard experienced slight retrenchment in AD 85, the copper and orichalcum denominations retained rigorous mint standards and consistent metallurgical identity throughout the remainder of his principate. The as of type RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 707 was manufactured in relatively pure copper rather than orichalcum (brass), a metal distinction carefully preserved by Roman authorities to assist illiterate or visually impaired handlers in separating the lower-value as from the radiate-crowned dupondius of comparable physical diameter. Measuring approximately 27 to 29 millimeters across and struck on broad flans, these coins served high-velocity retail functions, facilitating routine purchases of bread, wine, bath admissions, and modest market goods. The selection of Fortuna for this issue echoed long-standing Roman numismatic practice, coupling high-frequency civic transactions with reassuring imagery of imperial prosperity and divine protection under Domitian's direct oversight.

Mint Organization and Production Technology

The production of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 707 was centered entirely at the imperial mint of Rome, which by the late first century AD dominated official base-metal coin supply in the western Mediterranean. The Rome mint operated under the overall fiscal oversight of the equestrian procurator monetae, directing a structured workforce of freedmen and public slaves that included flan casters, engravers, die aligners, and striking teams. Blank flans for copper asses were cast in open or two-part molds and subsequently hammered while hot or cold to achieve uniform circular planchets of standard thickness. Dies were hand-carved using hardened iron chisels, punches, and burins, demonstrating the refined stylistic realism and sharp relief typical of Domitian's mature monetary output. Die orientation for this issue generally adheres to the standard Roman six o'clock (180 degree) alignment, although minor manual deviations occur routinely across surviving specimens. Output levels for base metal at Rome during the 90s AD were substantial, responding to imperial expenditures on civil administration, monumental public building campaigns in Rome, and logistical support for military garrisons on the northern frontiers. The technical execution of the obverse portrait demonstrates high artistic consistency, suggesting that portrait punches or master models were used to guide the engraving staff across multiple operative officinae at the capital.

Obverse Portraiture and Iconography

The obverse of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 707 presents the right-facing head of Domitian, adorned with the civic laurel wreath (corona civica). The portrait reflects the mature iconographic phase of Domitian's reign, characterized by a fleshy throat, a prominent aquiline nose, and deeply set features that project solemn imperial auctoritas. In contrast to the radiate crown reserved for the brass dupondius, the laureate wreath explicitly signals the denomination as an as when paired with the reddish metal flan. The laurel ties extend down the nape of the emperor's neck, terminating in delicate ribbons that curve outward onto the lower field. The engraving captures meticulous hair curls arranged in tiers above the forehead and across the crown of the head, a stylistic hallmark developed by the Rome mint after AD 85. The truncation of the neck is neatly modelled and floats symmetrically above the lower legend. Surrounding the portrait, a continuous circular inscription runs clockwise, enclosed by an outer border of uniform beads. The facial modeling on these Rome mint dies departs from the earlier, more idealized Flavian portraits, conveying a resolute, austere countenance that aligned with Domitian's self-presentation as censor perpetuus and absolute protector of traditional Roman morals and public order.

Reverse Iconography: Fortuna and Senatorial Sanction

The reverse design of this type features the personification Fortuna standing facing left, an iconic visual motif in imperial propaganda. She is attired in a draped stola with an overgarment (palla) that gathers gracefully around her waist and falls in cascading folds to her feet. In her right hand, which extends downward, she holds the helm or tiller of a ship's rudder, resting either on or just above the groundline, symbolizing divine guidance of human destiny and the state. Cradled securely in her left arm is a cornucopiae brimming with fruits, celebrating fertility, economic abundance, and imperial beneficence. The personification is flanked in the lower field by the prominent capital letters S and C (Senatus Consulto), divided evenly to the left and right of her lower drapery. This epigraphic formula reflects the constitutional tradition whereby the Senate formally authorized the striking of base-metal coinage, even though mint operations, bullion procurement, and fiscal policy had long been subordinated to imperial control. The Fortuna motif appeared regularly throughout the Flavian era, serving as an ideological affirmation that the reigning emperor enjoyed the active guidance and favor of fortune, steering the Roman world safely through political unrest, natural disaster, and provincial conflict.

Epigraphy and Titulature

The inscriptions on RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 707 provide precise historical and administrative evidence for Domitian's titulature in the final decade of his reign. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XV CENS PER P P, beginning at the lower left and continuing clockwise uninterrupted around the perimeter. Broken into its constituent elements, IMP (Imperator) designates his supreme military command; CAES (Caesar) and AVG (Augustus) affirm his dynastic status and imperial rank; DOMIT is the abbreviated personal cognomen Domitianus. The honorific title GERM (Germanicus), adopted in AD 83 following his campaigns against the Chatti, emphasizes his military victories in Germania. The numeral COS XV indicates his fifteenth consulship, which commenced on January 1, AD 90. The abbreviation CENS PER denotes Censor Perpetuus, an unprecedented lifelong appointment assumed in late AD 85 that granted Domitian sweeping authority over public morals and senatorial rolls. The formula concludes with P P for Pater Patriae (Father of the Country). On the reverse, the legend FORTVNAE AVGVSTI forms an arc above and around the standing deity, employing the dative case to signify a dedicated offering to the Fortuna of the Augustus, explicitly connecting the personal fortune of the ruler with the sustained wellbeing of the empire.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Type RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 707 is chronologically anchored by the consular iteration COS XV combined with Domitian's perpetual censorship. Domitian served as consul for the fifteenth time in AD 90 alongside Marcus Cocceius Nerva, and he held this title through the subsequent year until entering his sixteenth consulship on January 1, AD 92. Consequently, numismatists securely date this issue between AD 90 and AD 91. In their fundamental revision of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume II, Ian Carradice and Theodore V. Buttrey catalogued this specific variety under number 707, distinguishing it from adjacent issues of the same consular year bearing alternative reverse deities, such as Moneta (standing left with scales and cornucopiae), Virtus, or Minerva, as well as distinct bust treatments such as draped or aegis-bearing portraits. While the primary design configuration features the plain laureate head right, minor die variations exist in lettering size, spacing, and the precise angle of Fortuna's rudder relative to the groundline. This issue directly continues the standard bronze typologies of the middle Flavian period, demonstrating that while silver denarii of Domitian were heavily dominated by diverse representations of his patron goddess Minerva, the copper as continued to prioritize traditional, universally recognized civic personifications to reassure the wider Roman public.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Recovery

Copper asses of Domitian circulated extensively across the Western provinces, northern military outposts, and the Italian peninsula. Because asses represented low-value everyday currency, they were rarely hoarded in large quantities alongside gold aurei or silver denarii, appearing far more frequently in archaeological contexts as single losses in market spaces, urban streets, military encampments, and roadside settlements. Excavations in Roman Britain, the Rhineland, the upper Danube, and Gaul routinely yield Domitianic asses, many exhibiting substantial wear indicative of decades of continuous circulation well into the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian, and the Antonines. The durable copper alloy ensured that these coins remained physically functional long after Domitian's death and the formal damnatio memoriae decreed by the Senate in AD 96. While portraits on prominent public monuments were erased or recarved, circulating currency bearing Domitian's likeness was neither systematically recalled nor defaced, as the state could not afford to withdraw immense quantities of essential small change from the civilian economy. Consequently, specimens of RIC 707 continued to trade at par value across local marketplaces throughout the second century AD until widespread currency debasement and inflation gradually displaced early imperial aes.

References

1. Coinage and Finances in the Reign of Domitian, A.D. 81-96 (BAR International Series 178). pp. 112-140
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. II: Vespasian to Domitian. pp. 402-409
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 707. ric.2_1(2).dom.707
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II, Part 1: From AD 69 to 96 (Vespasian to Domitian), second revised edition. pp. 315-322, no. 707