Denarius - Domitian IMP XXI COS XV CENS P P P, Minerva

The imperial titulature on this denarius pins it to a narrow window of Domitian's reign: IMP XXI dates from late 90, COS XV from January 90, and the CENS P P P formula reflects his assumption of permanent censorial powers in 85 — a constitutional innovation that alarmed the Senate far more than his consulships ever did. Domitian used the censorship not as a ceremonial honor but as an active tool, purging senators and controlling the equestrian career ladder with unusual directness.

RIC II.1 720 is among the better-documented types of his later coinage, struck at Rome in what was by then a highly systematized mint operation running parallel series with only modest titulature variation between them.