Domitian Aureus, RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 700

Monetary Reform and Denominational Context

The aureus established under the Augustan monetary system represented the apex of Roman coinage, functioning as the primary high-value denomination for major commercial settlements, fiscal reserves, military stipends, and state ceremonial distributions. Throughout the Julio-Claudian and early Flavian dynasties, the physical standards of the gold and silver coinage had experienced progressive reductions, notably during Nero's reform of AD 64, which lowered the aureus standard to roughly 1/45 of a Roman pound (about 7.27 grams). Following his accession in AD 81, Domitian instituted a dramatic reversal of this inflationary trajectory. In AD 82, he boldly restored the Augustan weight and purity standards for both the denarius and the aureus, briefly lifting the aureus target to approximately 1/40 of a Roman pound (around 8.18 grams). Although fiscal realities forced a slight compromise around AD 85, the recalibrated standard settled at 1/42 of a Roman pound (approximately 7.78 to 7.85 grams), which remained distinctly heavier and finer than the currency of Vespasian and Titus. Coin type RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 700 was produced squarely within this stabilized post-reform regime during AD 90 and AD 91. At 25 silver denarii to the aureus, each gold coin embodied substantial purchasing power, circulating among state administrators, elite merchants, and high-ranking military commanders. The issue underscored Domitian's monetary discipline and served as tangible proof of imperial financial stability and military dominance at a time of costly infrastructure projects and border operations along the Danube and Rhine frontiers.

Production Standards and Minting Operations

The entire production of regular gold coinage under Domitian was concentrated at the central imperial mint in Rome. Following the Flavian consolidation of minting operations, the capital's facility executed die engraving and blank preparation under tight administrative oversight, probably under the authority of the procurator monetae. Technical examination of Domitianic aurei demonstrates an exceptional standard of craftsmanship, characterized by deep, three-dimensional engraving, well-centered strikes, and carefully aligned die axes, commonly conforming to the regular six o'clock (or sometimes twelve o'clock) die orientation favored by the imperial mint. Flans were cast with precision to ensure adherence to the targeted weight standard of roughly 7.80 grams, with individual specimens typically falling in the 7.60 to 7.85 gram range due to normal minting tolerance and subsequent minor wear. Chemical analyses of Flavian gold coins indicate that metallurgical purity was maintained above 98 to 99 percent fine gold throughout this period. The dies for RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 700 were cut by skilled master engravers capable of rendering minute figurative details on the triumphal quadriga, such as the harness straps, chariot wheels, and the miniature relief of Victory crowning a trophy carved directly onto the chariot body.

Obverse Portraiture and Style

The obverse of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 700 features a mature, dignified right-facing head of Domitian wearing a laurel wreath. By AD 90, Flavian portraiture had evolved past the stark, veristic realism inherited from Vespasian, embracing a monumental, idealized imperial image that combined recognizable individual features with autocratic majesty. Domitian is depicted with a heavy jawline, prominent brow, fleshy neck, and aquiline nose, rendered with clean lines and refined modeling around the cheekbones and temples. The laurel wreath is tied at the nape of the neck with distinct ribbons that curl gently across the imperial truncation or nape. The hair is arranged in tight, carefully delineated waves cascading forward from the crown, a signature convention of the Rome mint during the late 80s and early 90s AD. Unlike many earlier portrait styles that portrayed the bust with drapery or aegis, this specific type relies on an unadorned head, focusing the viewer's attention entirely on the ruler's sovereign countenance and the prestige of the corona triumphalis.

Reverse Iconography: The Triumphal Quadriga

The reverse iconography presents Domitian in a slow, ceremonial chariot drawn by four horses pacing to the left. The emperor stands erect within the chariot box, viewed in three-quarter profile, holding a branch of laurel forward in his right hand and an eagle-tipped sceptre (scipio eburneus) resting in his left arm. The four horses are arranged in pairs with their legs stepping in unison, conveying an aura of solemn, ritualistic procession rather than chaotic combat or racetrack speed. A remarkable feature of this reverse is the ornamentation of the chariot car. The side panel is decorated with an embossed low-relief scene showing the winged goddess Victory holding a wreath to crown a military trophy composed of captured barbarian armor and weaponry. This layered visual composition serves as a direct artistic quotation of the traditional Roman triumph, recalling the formal procession celebrated by Domitian in earlier years and reaffirming his continuous role as the victorious protector of the empire. The leftward orientation of the quadriga on this aureus contrasts with alternative Flavian chariot designs moving to the right, distinguishing this specific type within the consular issues of his fifteenth term.

Epigraphy and Imperial Titulature

The legends on this aureus are divided cleanly between the obverse and reverse, creating a harmonious and balanced epigraphic presentation around the beaded borders. The obverse bears the concise legend DOMITIANVS AVGVSTVS, running clockwise along the rim. This streamlined formulation stands in stark contrast to earlier Flavian protocols that packed an extensive list of titles, offices, and filiations onto the obverse perimeter. By stripping away extraneous designations, the obverse asserts the emperor's singular status as the reigning Augustus in unequivocal terms. The reverse legend carries the remaining essential titulature: GERMANICVS COS XV. The honorific surname Germanicus had been assumed by Domitian in late AD 83 following his campaigns against the Chatti across the Rhine, quickly becoming a permanent element of his official public persona. The consular notation COS XV indicates the emperor's fifteenth consulship, entered on January 1, AD 90. Because Domitian did not assume his sixteenth consulship until AD 92, the formula COS XV remained active across the entire calendar year AD 90 and through AD 91. The combination of Germanicus with this consular count firmly embeds the coin's production within this specific chronological window.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the modern classification system of Roman Imperial Coinage, this specific aureus is catalogued as RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 700. In earlier numismatic scholarship, such as the 1926 first edition of RIC II by Mattingly and Sydenham, Domitian's Flavian coinage was arranged under a less refined chronological framework; the 2007 second edition by I. A. Carradice and T. V. Buttrey systematically restructured the issues using exact die links, tribunician dates, and consular milestones. Under this updated framework, type 700 is grouped within the Rome mint's gold and silver production for AD 90-91 (Group 6 in Carradice's internal classification). Within this group, the quadriga type is one of several thematic designs struck alongside representations of Minerva, the emperor sacrificing at an altar, and various triumphal emblems. Type 700 is specifically defined by the obverse reading DOMITIANVS AVGVSTVS paired with the reverse legend GERMANICVS COS XV and the quadriga pacing left. It is typologically related to matching denarii and sister aureus variants that share similar titular formulas, yet it remains an autonomous catalogue type distinguished by its leftward quadriga composition and distinct gold die pairings.

Circulation, Hoarding, and Survival

Because gold aurei represented massive concentrations of wealth, their circulation patterns diverged sharply from the daily transactional life of bronze sestertii or silver denarii. An aureus of this period equaled roughly one month of basic pay for a Roman legionary or substantial capital for urban commerce. Consequently, pieces like RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 700 experienced relatively low velocity in commercial exchanges. They were commonly stored in secure family savings, hoarded during times of military insecurity, or transferred directly through high-level state expenditures, military donatives, and tax remittances. Following the assassination of Domitian in September AD 96 and the subsequent damnatio memoriae decreed by the Roman Senate, many public monuments and inscriptions bearing his name were erased. However, systematic demonetization or mass melting of his gold coinage was economically impractical, as the Flavian treasury had struck these pieces at an elevated standard that later administrations could not afford to retire wholesale without severe fiscal disruption. Aurei of Domitian therefore remained in circulation or in hoards well into the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian, often sustaining gradual surface friction before eventual burial or recovery. Surviving specimens of type 700 are rare today, preserved primarily in major museum collections and select private cabinets.

References

1. Coinage and Finances in the Reign of Domitian, A.D. 81-96. pp. 23-48
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume II: Vespasian to Domitian. pp. 336-338
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 700. ric.2_1(2).dom.700
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II, Part 1: From Vespasian to Domitian (AD 69-96). p. 317, no. 700