Domitian's early denarii from 81 AD were struck in the months immediately following Titus's death in September of that year, when the new emperor moved quickly to establish his titulature on the coinage. The COS VII DES VIII formula places this issue within a very narrow window — Domitian held his seventh consulship in 81 and was designated for his eighth before year's end, a tenure that reflects his aggressive accumulation of consulships, which would eventually reach twenty-three, far exceeding any predecessor.
Domitian's early denarii from 81 AD were struck in the months immediately following Titus's death in September of that year, when the new emperor moved quickly to establish his titulature on the coinage. The COS VII DES VIII formula places this issue within a very narrow window — Domitian held his seventh consulship in 81 and was designated for his eighth before year's end, a tenure that reflects his aggressive accumulation of consulships, which would eventually reach twenty-three, far exceeding any predecessor.