Domitian As, RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 708

Monetary Context and Economic Background

The as held a foundational position in the Roman imperial currency system established under Augustus, functioning as a primary low-value base-metal denomination for everyday retail transactions, petty trade, and local market operations. Valued at one-sixteenth of a silver denarius or one-quarter of an orichalcum sestertius, the copper as ensured liquidity within civilian economies across Italy and the western provinces. By the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96), base-metal production was deeply integrated into centralized fiscal policy. Domitian demonstrated an acute personal interest in currency administration, enacting a celebrated upward revaluation of the denarius and aureus in AD 82 to restore Augustan metallurgical standards, followed by a slight downward adjustment in AD 85 to stabilize state revenues. Although these shifts primarily concerned gold and silver, the base-metal system of sestertii, dupondii, asses, and semisses operated in tandem, requiring consistent weight standards and trustworthy visual emblems to prevent inflationary panic. Issue RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 708, struck in AD 90-91, fits squarely into this period of stabilized post-reform output. The prominent appearance of Moneta on this as offered public reassurance regarding the dependability and moral authority of the imperial monetary apparatus.

Production Standards and Mint Operation

During Domitian's later reign, regular imperial bronze and copper coinage was centralized at the mint of Rome. Earlier Flavian operations at western auxiliary facilities such as Lugdunum had ceased, focusing all striking operations for core imperial issues within the capital's workshops. In ancient terminology and traditional metallurgical practice, the as was struck on relatively pure red copper blanks, distinguishing it visually and physically from the brass (orichalcum) used for the sestertius and dupondius, though modern numismatic cataloguing frequently designates the material under the broader category of bronze or copper alloy. The weight standard for late Flavian asses typically fluctuated around a median of approximately 10 to 11 grams, with die diameters ranging from 27 to 29 millimeters, although ancient minting tolerance allowed for noticeable variation across individual flans. The production process involved manually hammered flans prepared in multi-cavity moulds, resulting in slightly irregular bevelled edges and occasional minor centering deviations. The engraving of dies for this issue reflects the meticulous, highly finished classical style of the Rome mint during the late 80s and early 90s AD, characterized by disciplined letterforms, fine hair detailing, and balanced spatial composition.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Image

The obverse of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 708 presents a right-facing portrait bust of Domitian wearing a laurel wreath. By AD 90, imperial portraiture had shifted decisively from the more naturalistic, occasionally unflattering verism inherited from Vespasian and Titus toward a formalized, stately representation of imperial majesty. Domitian is depicted with a strong profile, a prominent hooked nose, a fleshy throat, and tightly curled locks of hair arranged beneath the laurel wreath, whose ties fall naturally down the nape of the neck. The laurel wreath symbolizes imperatorial triumph, celebrating his campaigns and consolidation of authority along the Rhine and Danube frontiers. The absence of an aegis or radiate crown distinguishes this portrait as the standard civic representation appropriate for an as, whereas radiate crowns were reserved as the conventional denomination mark for orichalcum dupondii. The engraving exhibits crisp relief, framing the portrait symmetrically against the inner edge of a finely beaded border.

Reverse Iconography: Moneta Augusti

The reverse iconography centers on the personification of Moneta, standing draped and facing toward the left. In her extended right hand, she holds a pair of balance scales (libra), while her left arm cradles a horn of plenty (cornucopia). Flanking her figure in the left and right fields are the letters S and C, denoting Senatus Consulto. The balance scales evoke equity, precision, and the strict technical standards demanded during the minting process, assuring the user that each coin possessed its proper weight and value. The cornucopia represents the material abundance, prosperity, and financial stability delivered to the Roman state through orderly imperial management. The personification of Moneta was not merely an allegorical deity of wealth; she embodied the sacred mint building on the Capitoline Hill and the official guarantee of the sovereign. This specific design was struck in extensive quantities during Domitian's reign, underscoring an intentional ideological campaign to reinforce civic trust in the state's economic integrity following the monetary adjustments of the mid-80s AD.

Epigraphy and Inscriptional Analysis

The obverse legend reads IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XV CENS PER P P, representing an uninterrupted, clockwise circumscription beginning at the lower left. This comprehensive imperial titular formula breaks down into standard administrative and military components: Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus, Germanicus (acknowledging his military campaigns against the Chatti in AD 83), Consul Quintum Decimum (indicating his fifteenth consulship, entered on 1 January AD 90), Censor Perpetuus (his lifelong censorship assumed in AD 85), and Pater Patriae (Father of the Country). The explicit recording of COS XV narrows the issue's chronological inception to AD 90, persisting into AD 91 prior to his sixteenth consulship in AD 92. The reverse inscription reads MONETA AVGVSTI, translating as 'the Moneta of the Emperor' or 'Imperial Mint Standard', accompanied by the formula S C (Senatus Consulto) in the field. Although the princeps held complete de facto command over state finances and coin production, the retention of S C on copper-alloy denominations preserved the traditional constitutional fiction that base-metal issues were authorized by the Senate, maintaining continuity with Julio-Claudian administrative precedent.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology of Flavian coinage, RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 708 occupies a clear chronological position within the eighth emission sequence of Domitian's bronze coinage at Rome. The second edition of the Roman Imperial Coinage corpus, revised by Ian Carradice and Ted V. Buttrey, reorganized the Flavian series chronologically based on dated imperial consulships, censorial titles, and tribunician power counts. The combination of COS XV with CENS PER without a higher consular count restricts this specific type precisely to AD 90 and 91. While the Moneta reverse type was struck repeatedly throughout Domitian's reign, earlier iterations bear different consular designations, such as COS XI (AD 85), COS XII (AD 86), COS XIII (AD 87), and COS XIV (AD 88-89), whereas later issues bear COS XVI (AD 92) and COS XVII (AD 95-96). Furthermore, type 708 is defined strictly by its right-facing laureate portrait without an aegis and the standing Moneta with scales and cornucopia. Distinguishing type 708 from contemporary asses requires careful reading of the consular numeral and verification of the reverse figure's attributes to avoid conflation with neighboring personifications such as Fortuna or Virtus.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Evidence

Base-metal asses of the Flavian era formed the workhorse currency of western Roman markets, circulating for decades following their initial striking. Archaeological excavation data from Roman Britain, the Rhine frontier (Germania Superior and Inferior), the Danubian provinces, and military garrisons throughout Gaul demonstrate that Domitian's copper asses travelled widely with military movements and regional trade networks. The Moneta type was one of the most prolific bronze issues of the late 1st century AD. Wear patterns on recovered site finds indicate that these coins frequently remained in active commercial circulation well into the 2nd century AD, often circulating alongside issues of Trajan and Hadrian until the Antonine period. Because bronze coins were rarely hoarded in the same manner as gold aurei or silver denarii, except in mixed site deposits or votive contexts, individual stray losses at urban markets, villas, and military camps represent the majority of surviving archaeological finds.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume II: Vespasian to Domitian. pp. 400-406
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 708. Type ric.2_1(2).dom.708
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II, Part 1: Vespasian to Domitian (Second Edition). pp. 315-318, no. 708