Æ - Vespasian PONT MAX TR POT P P COS VIII CENS S C, Ceres

Vespasian's eighth consulship, held in 77–78 AD, coincided with the final stages of his censorship — an office he held jointly with Titus and used aggressively to reconstitute the Roman Senate after the civil wars of 69 AD. The censorship allowed him to purge disreputable members and pack the body with provincial loyalists, consolidating Flavian control over Rome's governing class. It was not a popular exercise of power, and Vespasian knew it.

Ceres had particular resonance for Flavian propaganda following the disruptions to grain supply during the Year of the Four Emperors.