RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 89

Monetary Context and Imperial Ideology

The emission of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 89 belongs to the early months of the sole reign of Titus, who assumed full imperial authority following the death of his father Vespasian in late June of AD 79. The Flavian monetary system continued to operate under the fundamental structural framework instituted by Nero's reform of AD 64, wherein the denarius was minted at approximately 1/96 of a Roman pound, with a theoretical weight target hovering between 3.2 and 3.4 grams. Under the Flavians, precious metal issues functioned both as primary economic liquidity and as vital conduits for state communication across an empire recovering from civil conflict. The reverse theme honoring Bonus Eventus, an ancient agricultural deity of beneficial harvest and prosperous enterprise, was deliberately revived on silver coinage to project confidence in the continuity of the regime. By styling the divinity as Bonus Eventus Augusti, the imperial administration framed civic well-being, abundance, and favorable fortune as direct manifestations of the princeps's religious and executive stewardship.

Production and Mint Organization

This specific denarius issue was produced exclusively at the central imperial mint in Rome. By AD 79, the Flavian administration had consolidated metropolitan precious metal production within the capital, having phased out the auxiliary provincial silver workshops in the west and Levant that operated during the Civil War of AD 69 and the early pacification years under Vespasian. The mint operated with organized officinae employing skilled die-engravers, flan-casters, and strivers under the supervision of equestrian and freedman procurators. Blank planchets were prepared using open or hinged mould casting methods before being adjusted for weight and struck between upper and lower dies. The metallurgical profile conforms to late first-century Flavian silver issues, demonstrating a fineness typically ranging between 80 and 85 percent silver balance copper, representing a consistent alloy standard intended for widespread civilian and military payment throughout the central empire.

Obverse Typology

The obverse presents a realistic yet classically idealized portrait of the emperor Titus facing right. The engraving captures the characteristic Flavian physiognomy, exhibiting a broad, rounded facial structure, firm chin, and fleshy neck, consistent with contemporaneous marble statuary and official portraits produced in Rome. Titus is crowned with the laurel wreath (corona triumphalis), which rests securely atop short, curled hair, the ties trailing behind the neck. The execution of the portraiture emphasizes imperial dignity, maturity, and authority, consciously echoing the established iconography of Vespasian while asserting Titus's independent status as reigning Augustus. The portrait is encircled by a neat border of fine dots enclosing the epigraphic formula.

Reverse Typology

The reverse design features the personification Bonus Eventus depicted as an athletic, youthful male figure standing facing left in heroic nudity. In classical Roman religion and iconography, Bonus Eventus was frequently conflated with Greek representations of Triptolemos or Apollo as an embodiment of fertility and successful harvests. The deity holds an offering dish or patera outstretched in his right hand, symbolizing formal sacrifice and religious piety, while his lowered left hand holds two ears of wheat and a mature poppy head. These botanical attributes explicitly evoke agrarian abundance, successful cultivation, and civic replenishment. The composition balances classical anatomical modeling with clear ideological symbolism, providing a visual guarantee of domestic prosperity under the newly established imperial court.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The legends on this type adhere to the concise epigraphic conventions of the early Flavian administration. The obverse bears the continuous inscription IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M, running clockwise from the lower left. This formula records the imperatorial praenomen (Imperator), the personal name Titus, the family nomen and cognomen (Caesar Vespasianus), followed by the definitive titles of Augustus and Pontifex Maximus (chief priest), which Titus assumed shortly after his accession. The reverse legend reads BONVS EVENTVS AVGVSTI, set continuously along the peripheral border. Grammatically employing the genitive form Augusti, the inscription explicitly associates the divine power of good outcome directly with the emperor, affirming that auspicious occurrences flow through the imperial office and the reigning monarch.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the standard reference corpus, this denarius is catalogued as RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 89, superseding the older entry in the first edition of the Roman Imperial Coinage. The issue is chronologically fixed to the period between late June AD 79 and early AD 80. The presence of the title Pontifex Maximus on the obverse demonstrates that striking occurred after Titus's formal assumption of the high priesthood following Vespasian's death. Unlike later issues of Titus that incorporate numbered iterations of his tribunician power (Tribunicia Potestas) and consulships, this early series relies on an unnumbered titular structure. Within the typological sequences of early Flavian coinage, Titus 89 forms an ideological companion to issues commemorating agricultural security, imperial peace, and divine favor issued during the transition between the two reigns.

Circulation and Hoard Evidence

Following its release from the Rome mint, this denarius entered the mainstream circulatory pool through bureaucratic stipends, public disbursements, and military wages. Denarii of this period were heavily integrated into commerce across Italy and the western provinces, including Gaul, Hispania, and Britannia. Because the Flavian silver standard remained stable relative to the Neronian benchmark, these coins circulated alongside both worn Julio-Claudian issues and later Domitianic emissions. Evidence from western hoards, such as the Falmouth and Castle Bromwich deposits, indicates that Titus's silver coins remained in active circulation for decades, frequently surviving until the Trajanic recoinage of AD 107 and occasionally surfacing in Antonine-era hoards, often displaying substantial surface wear resulting from prolonged daily use.

References

1. The Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coinage: From the Reform of Nero to the Reform of Trajan. pp. 205-220
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. II: Vespasian to Domitian. pp. 223-228
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 89. ric.2_1(2).tit.89
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II, Part 1: Vespasian to Domitian (AD 69-96). pp. 200-205, no. 89