Titus Denarius, RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 359

Monetary Context and Imperial Consecration

The death of Vespasian on 23 June AD 79 marked the first peaceful dynastic succession in the Roman imperial office since the fall of the Julio-Claudians. To cement his legitimacy and elevate the status of the Flavian household, Titus oversaw the formal deification of his father by the Senate. Consecration coinage served as one of the primary media through which divine status was broadcast across the empire. The denarius defined as RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 359 was issued as an integral part of this broader deification series. Unlike issues struck in Vespasian's lifetime that emphasized military victory, fiscal recovery, or civilian peace, these post-mortem silver coins were dedicated entirely to establishing the late emperor among the gods as Divus Augustus Vespasianus. By distributing these coins through military pay, administrative expenditures, and urban commerce, the regime tied daily economic transactions directly to the divine aura of the ruling family.

Mint and Production Standards

The issue RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 359 was struck exclusively at the imperial mint of Rome, which handled virtually all precious-metal production for the central empire during the reign of Titus. Silver denarii of this period were produced to a nominal weight standard established during the late Neronian currency reform of AD 64, which targeted roughly 96 coins to the Roman pound (libra), yielding a theoretical mean weight of approximately 3.41 grams. In practical output under Titus, observed weights for well-preserved specimens typically center between 3.15 and 3.45 grams. Metallurgical analyses of early Flavian denarii indicate an average silver fineness of approximately 80 to 82 percent, with copper forming the balance of the alloy. The coin was produced by hot-striking prepared cast silver flans between hand-engraved bronze or iron dies, exhibiting the high level of technical proficiency characteristic of the capital's die-cutters.

Obverse Iconography and Modeling

The obverse of this issue carries the laureate head of the deified Vespasian facing right. The portraiture preserves the distinctive veristic features of the founder of the dynasty: a broad cranium, pronounced brow, deep nasolabial furrows, and a sturdy, square jaw. While early Flavian portraiture is noted for its unsparing realism, the post-mortem portrait on RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 359 incorporates an element of idealization befitting a divus. The laurel wreath encircling the head, tied at the nape with dangling ribbon ties (lemnisci), acts both as a traditional emblem of triumph and as a signifier of divine transformation. The engraving maintains crisp delineation in the hair locks, ear anatomy, and laurel leaves, reflecting the disciplined output of the principal Rome workshops.

Reverse Typology and Funerary Symbolism

The reverse of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 359 presents an intricate assemblage of funerary and triumphal iconography. At the center sits a low column or rectangular base upon which rests a cinerary urn. Resting against or positioned in front of this pedestal is a round clipeus (shield) bearing the letters S C. Flanking the ensemble on either side are two upright laurel branches. The cinerary urn overtly symbolizes the physical remains and solemn cremation of the deceased ruler, while the column serves as an enduring monument of state honor. The accompanying laurel branches reflect the sacral victory of deification and perpetual public reverence. The inclusion of the shield directly recalls the Augustan clipeus virtutis, here reinterpreted to honor the departed emperor's exceptional virtues through the formal decree of the Senate.

Epigraphy and Legend Structure

The epigraphy of the type is concise and strictly formulaic. The obverse legend reads DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS, beginning low on the left and continuing clockwise around the periphery. This legend definitively identifies the subject as the deified Vespasian, employing the title Divus Augustus to align him directly with the precedents set by the deified Augustus and Claudius. On the reverse, the legend is divided into two distinct components: the word EX is placed in the upper field or above the column, while the letters S C appear inscribed directly on the central shield. Read together as EX S C, an abbreviation for 'Ex Senatus Consulto', the legend signifies that the monument and honors depicted were enacted pursuant to an official senatorial decree, emphasizing harmony between the new princeps and the senatorial order.

Typological Classification and Chronology

In the revised second edition of the Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC II.1), this issue is catalogued under Titus as number 359, corresponding to the older BMC 127. Struck between AD 80 and the unexpected death of Titus in September AD 81, it belongs to the second wave of Titus's consecration issues. The first consecration types, initiated immediately after Vespasian's death in AD 79, primarily carried reverses showing a carpentum, quadriga, or celestial symbols like the comet. By AD 80 and 81, the mint introduced more monument-specific motifs, including the urn on column type represented by RIC 359, as well as the pulvinar (sacred couch) and altar series. RIC 359 is distinguished from closely related variants by the specific arrangement of the urn, column, and shield combined with the reverse legend EX S C, standing out as a self-contained denomination type within the Flavian consecration repertory.

Circulation Life and Hoard Evidence

Although minted with a strong commemorative message, denarii of RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 359 were intended for active currency circulation rather than presentation medallions. Silver hoards recovered across Britain, Gaul, the Rhine-Danube frontier, and Italy demonstrate that Flavian consecration denarii circulated alongside standard lifetime issues of Vespasian, Titus, and early Domitian. Because Domitian restored the silver fineness to near-Neronian purity around AD 82 before slightly lowering it again in AD 85, pre-reform Flavian coins remained preferred tariffed currency. Wear patterns visible on surviving specimens in modern collections confirm that these coins experienced prolonged commercial circulation, frequently remaining in European coin pools well into the Antonine period, until extensive second-century debasements prompted their gradual withdrawal or hoarding.

References

1. The Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coinage: From the Reforms of Nero to the Reform of Trajan. Cambridge University Press, pp. 240-275
2. Coinage and Finances in the Reign of Domitian, A.D. 81-96. BAR International Series 178
3. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum (BMCRE), Volume II: Vespasian to Domitian. British Museum Publications, London
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 359. ric.2_1(2).tit.359