Domitian Bronze As, RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 1290

Monetary Context and the Flavian Bronze System

The monetary reforms initiated under the Flavian dynasty rebuilt an imperial currency structure severely strained by the civil conflicts of AD 68 to 69. Under Vespasian, regular production of base-metal coinage resumed on a vast scale to replenish regional treasuries, meet military payroll expenditures, and supply civic markets with standardized fractional denominations. Within this framework, the as served as the fundamental working unit for daily trade, tariff settlements, and urban exchanges. Valued at one-fourth of a brass sestertius and one-sixteenth of a silver denarius, the as had historically been manufactured in nearly pure unalloyed copper, while the sestertius and dupondius were composed of orichalcum (brass). At branch mints such as Lugdunum, metallurgic variations occurred depending on the specific bronze or copper alloys available to the workshop, yet the denomination remained strictly regulated in weight standard, averaging around 10 to 11 grams. Coinage struck for the Caesars, Titus and Domitian, accompanied that of the senior Augustus, publicly defining the hereditary chain of command and assuring financial stability across the empire.

Lugdunum Mint Production and Physical Characteristics

RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 1290 was produced at the prominent imperial mint of Lugdunum, modern Lyon. Following its intense activity during the Julio-Claudian era and subsequent closure, the Lugdunum mint was reopened under Vespasian in AD 70 to relieve logistical strain on the primary mint at Rome and to fulfill the acute demand for small bronze currency in the northwestern provinces. Flavian coin production at Lugdunum is characterized by a distinctive, consistent mint signature: a tiny sphere or globe positioned beneath the termination of the bust or neck truncation on the obverse die. Stylistically, the dies engraved at Lugdunum display a robust, muscular execution of the imperial portraiture that contrasts with the softer, idealized profiles rendered by the contemporary Roman urban engravers. Flavian asses produced at this workshop were struck on substantial cast copper-alloy flans, typically measuring between 26 and 28 millimeters in diameter. The mint operated with high administrative discipline, standardizing die axes and producing balanced, well-centered issues intended for heavy provincial circulation.

Obverse Iconography of Domitian Caesar

The obverse of the type presents the laureate head of Domitian facing right. Although Vespasian was the supreme issuing authority, the coin prominently features his younger son, who held the title of Caesar as well as official magisterial positions. Domitian is depicted in the typical youthful yet formal Flavian style, displaying the characteristic full jawline and prominent profile of the family. The laurel wreath resting upon his hair signifies military prestige and imperial standing, held together by ties that drape down the back of the neck. Immediately beneath the lowest point of the neck truncation rests the tiny globe, the diagnostic mintmark confirming production at Lugdunum. The globe symbolically conveyed the global reach and cosmic stewardship of the Roman Empire, while functioning internally within the mint hierarchy as a control feature. Die cutters achieved a balanced aesthetic by wrapping the titular inscription neatly around the circular flan, enclosing the head without crowding.

Reverse Iconography: Spes and Dynastic Succession

The reverse iconography depicts the goddess Spes (Hope) advancing or standing toward the left. In her right hand, she extends a single flower bud, an ancient symbol of emerging life, future promise, and prosperity. With her left hand, she gracefully hitches up the folds of her long, pleated chiton to facilitate her forward movement. Flanking the personification across the lower field are the large letters S and C. In Roman imperial ideology, Spes had become intimately tied to the juvenile members of the imperial family since the reign of Claudius. During the Flavian period, the type was explicitly reserved for issues celebrating the designated heirs. By pairing Spes with Domitian Caesar, the imperial administration advertised the enduring vitality of the Flavian line, reassuring the populace and legions that the state possessed qualified successors capable of maintaining civil peace and dynastic continuity.

Epigraphy and Titulature

The legends on RIC 1290 are concise, formulaic, and essential for establishing chronology and imperial authority. The obverse legend reads CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS COS V, which expands epigraphically to Caesar Augusti Filius Domitianus Consul Quintum. This text designates Domitian as the son of Augustus (Vespasian) and records his fifth tenure as Roman consul. The absence of the title Augustus confirms his subordinate status as Caesar and junior prince under his father. On the reverse, the inscription consists solely of the senatorial abbreviation S C, expanding to Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'). This formula, standard on regular imperial bronze denominations struck across the western empire, reaffirmed the constitutional relationship between the princeps and the Roman Senate regarding the release and legal standing of base-metal token coinage.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the standard reference corpus The Roman Imperial Coinage (second edition, 2007), Ian Carradice and Theodore V. Buttrey catalogued this specific issue as Vespasian 1290, updating and replacing older arrangements from the 1926 first edition where it was catalogued under number 756. The chronological anchor for the type is provided precisely by Domitian's fifth consulship (COS V). Domitian entered his fifth ordinary consulship on January 1, AD 77, alongside his elder brother Titus as his colleague, holding the office into AD 78 before assuming his sixth consulship in AD 79. The production of this as can therefore be securely dated between AD 77 and 78, coinciding with the terminal phase of Flavian operations at the Lugdunum mint before its output was centralized back to Rome. Neighboring types at Lugdunum in this period share identical consular iterations for Domitian but feature differing reverse personifications, such as Fortuna, Pax, or Minerva, illustrating a coordinated typological program.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Context

Base-metal issues struck at Lugdunum were intended primarily to supply the vibrant commercial economies and heavy military garrisons along the Rhine and across the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis, Gallia Belgica, and Britannia. Finds recorded in regional hoards, river deposits, and excavations of Roman legionary fortresses, such as Vetera and Novaesium, demonstrate that Flavian bronze from Lyon circulated vigorously for multiple decades. Due to its standard weight and reliable intrinsic alloy, the as saw extensive hand-to-hand exchange, frequently wearing down to smooth surfaces before being withdrawn or lost. Even following the death of Domitian in AD 96 and the subsequent damnation of his memory, his early bronze coins as Caesar under Vespasian generally remained in common circulation, as the damnatio memoriae focused predominantly on public statues, architectural inscriptions, and late imperial-title coinage rather than day-to-day base-metal currency already active in trade networks.

References

1. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II, Part 1: From AD 69 to 96 (Vespasian to Domitian). p. 159, no. 1290
2. Le Monnayage de l'Atelier de Lyon: De Claude Ier a Vespasien (41-78 apres J.-C.). Atelier de Lyon, emissions flaviennes
3. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum (BMCRE), Vol. II: Vespasian to Domitian. Lugdunum under Vespasian, Domitian Caesar
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 1290. Type ric.2_1(2).ves.1290