Domitian Bronze As, RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 110

Monetary Context and Denominational Function

Under the early Flavian principate, the as remained the core unit of base-metal daily currency across the central Roman world. Struck from copper or a related copper alloy, the as stood at one-fourth of a brass sestertius, one-half of a dupondius, and one-sixteenth of a silver denarius. While gold aurei and silver denarii addressed administrative disbursements, military pay, and state tax receipts, aes coinage formed the lifeblood of urban markets, retail exchange, and labor remuneration. When Domitian succeeded his brother Titus in September of AD 81, he inherited an established tri-metallic currency structure. However, unlike the later monetary adjustments of AD 85, where Domitian enacted a notable elevation of silver and gold fineness alongside refined weight controls, the issues of AD 82 operated largely within the inherited Flavian parameters. Copper asses of this period provided the vital liquidity required by the populace of Rome and the Italian peninsula. The inclusion of the traditional senatorial mark S C (Senatus Consulto) on the reverse perpetuated the constitutional convention established under Augustus, signifying that the base-metal issues were formally authorized through senatorial decree even as ultimate fiscal authority resided with the princeps.

Production Standards and Mint Organization

The entire production of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 110 is attributed to the primary imperial mint located at Rome. Following the Flavian consolidation, Western provincial branch mints that had operated during the civil wars of AD 68-69 and the early years of Vespasian were closed or centralized, leaving Rome as the supreme center for issuing standard imperial aes. Asses of this phase were struck using carefully prepared copper blanks, typically displaying average weights clustering between 10.0 and 11.5 grams with module diameters around 27 to 29 millimeters, although individual planchets could exhibit minor deviations inherent to ancient manual casting and striking methods. Mint personnel working under the supervision of the procurator monetae prepared obverse dies with calibrated relief portraits and reverse dies displaying intricate mythological attributes. Die axes were predominantly aligned at 6 o'clock or 12 o'clock, reflecting the regulated manufacturing habits of the Roman officinae. Metallurgical analyses of contemporary Flavian asses show predominantly pure copper, contrasting with the zinc-rich orichalcum alloy reserved for the dupondius and sestertius.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Image

The obverse of this issue presents a right-facing portrait of Domitian wearing a laurel wreath. Executed in the characteristic early Flavian portrait style, the engraving emphasizes the strong facial features of the young emperor, including a prominent chin, straight nose, and muscular neck. The laurel wreath symbolizes imperial authority, military achievement, and civic leadership, secured behind the nape with neat ties that fall downward. This portraiture marks a distinct stage in Domitianic iconography: while distinct from the softer, fleshier features that characterized the final decade of his reign, it already departs from the close physiognomic emulation of his father Vespasian and brother Titus seen in earlier portraiture prior to his accession. The bust is depicted bare-necked or lightly draped at the truncation, focusing all viewer attention on the laureate profile and the crisp titular border that encircles it.

Reverse Iconography and the Cult of Minerva

The reverse design features Minerva, Domitian's personal patron deity, in an active and dynamic stance. Helmeted and draped in a long tunic, she strides to the right, brandishing a javelin or spear upward in her right hand while carrying a round circular shield on her left arm. An aegis extends down her back, reinforcing her formidable martial protection. Domitian's intense personal devotion to Minerva was unparalleled among Roman emperors; he celebrated her annual festival (the Quinquatria) at his Alban villa, founded the Legio I Minervia in her honor, and incorporated four distinct iconographic forms of the goddess across his precious-metal and base-metal coinages. This specific advancing pose, categorized in modern scholarship as Minerva type 1, represents the goddess as an aggressive protector of the imperial house and the Roman state. The field of the reverse is balanced by the large letters S C placed to the left and right of Minerva's advancing form, asserting constitutional legitimacy beneath the divine aegis.

Epigraphic Formulae and Political Messaging

The legends on this type provide precise chronological markers and ideological declarations. The obverse inscription reads IMP CAES DIVI VESP F DOMITIAN AVG P M, an abbreviation for Imperator Caesar Divi Vespasiani Filius Domitianus Augustus Pontifex Maximus. This formula explicitly connects Domitian to his deified father Vespasian (Divi Vespasiani Filius), reinforcing dynastic stability while acknowledging his assumption of the supreme priesthood (Pontifex Maximus) following his accession. The reverse legend runs continuously around the circumference as TR P COS VIII DES VIIII P P, followed by the senatorial authorization S C across the lower fields. This translates as Tribunicia Potestate, Consul Octavum, Designatus Nonum, Pater Patriae. The formula records his ongoing tribunician power, his eighth consulship, his designation to enter a ninth consulship in the following calendar year, and the title Father of the Country (Pater Patriae), which Domitian assumed early in his reign.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the original 1926 edition of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume II by Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham, Domitian's early bronze types were catalogued under an earlier framework that has been substantially updated. In the 2007 second revised edition by Ian Carradice and T.V. Buttrey, this issue is systematically classified as RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 110. The chronological placement is tightly anchored to AD 82 by the reverse titulature: Domitian served as consul for the eighth time (COS VIII) starting January 1, AD 82, and was designated to a ninth consulship (DES VIIII) for AD 83. The type forms part of a cohesive group of bronze denominations struck in Rome during AD 82, which adapted the imperial Minerva motifs previously developed on silver denarii for use on larger copper and brass flans. While Minerva types became the dominant motif on Domitian's denarii throughout his entire reign, their regular appearance on the bronze as in AD 82 demonstrates the early establishment of this visual program.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Record

Base-metal asses of the early 80s AD entered wide circulation across Italy and the western provinces of the Roman Empire, including Britannia, Gallia, Germania, and Hispania. Excavation data and hoard evidence demonstrate that copper asses possessed remarkable longevity, often circulating for several decades alongside later Trajanic and Hadrianic bronzes. Because the intrinsic metallic value of copper was low relative to its face value, public compliance in accepting imperial aes was driven by trust in imperial authority. The issue represented by RIC 110, struck in moderate volume during a single calendar year before the comprehensive weight and die reforms of AD 84-85, is attested in smaller numbers than the vast bronze outputs of AD 85-88. Specimens recovered from archaeological contexts frequently exhibit considerable surface wear and corrosion, reflecting prolonged domestic usage in petty commerce before eventual loss or discard.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. II: Vespasian to Domitian. pp. 360-365
2. Coinage and Finances in the Reign of Domitian, A.D. 81-96. BAR International Series 178, pp. 63-92
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 110. Domitian 110
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II, Part 1: Vespasian to Domitian (second revised edition). p. 272, no. 110