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Quadrans S C, Apollo
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 90-91 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Apollo facing right, with laureate and elaborately coiffed hair rendered in fine detail. A branch is depicted to the right of the bust in the field, serving as an attribute of the god. The circular legend runs along the periphery of the flan. The portrait is executed in the prevailing Flavian style, with careful attention to the deity's idealized facial features and flowing drapery at the shoulder. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | IMP DOMIT AVG GERM COS XV (Translation: Imperator, Domitianus, Augustus, Germanicus, Consul Quintum Decimum. Supreme commander (Imperator) Domitian, emperor (Augustus), conqueror of the Germans, consul for the 15th time.) |
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| Additional information |
Domitian issued this small bronze denomination — effectively the lowest coin in daily Roman commerce — during a period when his grip on the principate had grown visibly authoritarian. The quadrans saw renewed imperial attention under the Flavians partly as a tool of public munificence; Domitian distributed them during the Saturnalia, a practice documented by Martial, who received such coins himself and was unimpressed by the gift.
The SC notation reflects senatorial authority over base-metal coinage, a constitutional fiction that persisted long after the senate had any real say in minting decisions.