Titus Sestertius, RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 162

Monetary Context

During the principate of Titus (AD 79-81), the sestertius functioned as the primary high-denomination brass coin in Roman token currency, evaluated at four asses or one quarter of a silver denarius. The monetary system of the early Flavian emperors maintained the Augustan standard of orichalcum for the sestertius and dupondius, while asses and quadrantes were primarily struck in pure copper. In this framework, sestertii provided substantial physical flans that served as premier vehicles for state messaging, imperial ideology, and architectural commemoration across the Mediterranean. The emission of RIC 162 occurred during the second half of Titus's brief reign, specifically during AD 80 and early 81, when Titus held his eighth consulship (COS VIII). At this time, the Roman state confronted major domestic challenges, including the aftermath of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 and the catastrophic fire and plague that devastated Rome in AD 80. Base-metal coinage circulated extensively throughout the western provinces and Italy, providing a direct visual channel through which the imperial administration sought to restore civic confidence and project hereditary strength.

Production and Mints

The production of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 162 was carried out exclusively at the imperial mint of Rome. In early imperial coinage, base metal denominations were struck under the formal administrative formula of the Senate, signified by the letters S C (Senatus Consulto), though operational authority and ideological direction remained firmly under imperial oversight. Flavian mint technicians employed cast orichalcum flans that were subsequently heated and struck between hardened intaglio dies. The sestertius flan typically featured a broad module measuring approximately 33 to 36 mm in diameter, with an intended weight standard clustering near 24 to 28 grams, though individual surviving specimens naturally vary due to flan preparation tolerances and post-depositional wear. Alignment of dies was standardly adjusted to either twelve o'clock or six o'clock in accordance with Roman imperial mint practice.

Obverse Design and Portraiture

The obverse of this sestertius presents the head of Titus facing left, wearing the imperial laurel wreath. The portrait shows the mature, broad-jawed Flavian physiognomy characteristic of the period, deliberately evoking familial likeness with his father Vespasian while maintaining individualized portrait realism. The left-facing bust orientation is less common than the standard right-facing portraiture on contemporary Flavian sestertii, marking this emission as a deliberate typological variant within the workshop. The laureation consists of a neat tied wreath with ties trailing behind the nape of the neck, and the truncation of the neck is plain. Die cutters framed the portrait cleanly within the circular legend, balancing the extensive titular inscription across the periphery without clipping the wreath or portrait elements.

Reverse Design and Symbolism

The reverse iconography of RIC 162 depicts two togate figures standing facing each other: the deified Vespasian on one side and Titus on the other, jointly supporting a globe and a rudder. Both figures wear the civil toga, highlighting their roles as magistrates, civil guardians, and legitimate successors rather than victorious military conquerors alone. The globe symbolizes universal dominion and cosmic order, while the rudder signifies guidance, steering the Roman state through tumultuous fortunes. By showing the deceased, deified founder of the dynasty together with the reigning princeps holding these imperial attributes, the design visualizes the transfer of rule through imperial foresight (providentia). The letters S C appear across the field, recording the official sanction of the Senate for the striking of the brass coinage.

Epigraphy and Legends

The obverse legend reads IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII in an uninterrupted peripheral circle. This expands epigraphically to Imperator Titus Caesar Vespasianus Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate, Pater Patriae, Consul Octavum. This legend securely anchors the issue to Titus's eighth consulship, which commenced on January 1, AD 80. The titles encapsulate the full legal and religious authorities of the principate, including the chief priesthood and the role of father of his country. On the reverse, the legend reads PROVIDENT AVGVST with S C divided across the field. Providentia Augusti refers to the imperial foresight that secured the succession and ensured the welfare of the Empire, a central tenet of early Flavian institutional legitimacy.

Types and Chronology

RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 162 was struck between AD 80 and the death of Titus in September AD 81. In the modern revision of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume II by Carradice and Buttrey, this specific type is classified distinctly from its right-facing portrait counterpart (RIC 161). The type forms part of an integrated series of brass sestertii celebrating the joint legacy of Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, struck alongside reverse themes depicting the Colosseum, Pax, and personifications of imperial virtues. The precise arrangement of the togate figures on the reverse has generated occasional discussion regarding which figure represents Vespasian and which represents Titus, though the composition clearly emphasizes dynastic parity and harmonious succession.

Circulation and Historical Reception

Sestertii of Titus circulated widely across the western Roman Empire, where token brass coinage was crucial for market transactions, military pay distributions, and civic commerce. While silver denarii traversed both military zones and imperial frontiers, base-metal sestertii predominantly circulated within Italy and the western provinces, including Gaul, Spain, and Britain. Because of their durable orichalcum alloy and substantial size, Flavian sestertii frequently remained in active commercial circulation for decades, often staying in use through the Antonine and Severan periods until substantial monetary reforms and debasements in the third century AD. Consequently, archaeological finds often exhibit significant surface wear, countermarking, or patination resulting from extended monetary circulation and varied soil conditions.

References

1. The Flavian Coinage, in Roman Imperial Coinage Second Edition Research. Introduction to the Flavian sestertius series
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum (BMCRE), Vol. II: Vespasian to Domitian. Titus, nos. 178-181
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 162. ric.2_1(2).tit.162
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II, Part 1: Vespasian to Domitian (AD 69-96). p. 209, no. 162