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Semis S C, Apollo
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 85 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 7.3 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A raven or crow standing right atop a thunderbolt, an emblematic device associated with the god Apollo, rendered in relief against a plain field. The reverse type references Apollo's sacred bird, a standard motif on Domitianic semisses. The senatorial authorization mark S C (Senatus Consultum) is prominently displayed in the lower field beneath the thunderbolt, flanked by open space within a beaded border. The overall design is bold and simply composed, characteristic of Roman bronze coinage of the Flavian period. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | S C (Translation: Senatus Consultum. Decree of the senate.) |
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| Additional information |
Domitian's reign saw a deliberate revival of the smaller bronze denominations — the semis and quadrans — that had largely fallen out of regular production under his predecessors. The reintroduction was almost certainly administrative rather than economic, part of a broader effort to regularize the Roman coinage system after the disruptions of 69 AD and the Flavian consolidation. The S C mark confirms senatorial authorization, though by this period that formality carried more ceremonial than practical weight.
RIC II.1 313 is a reasonably well-documented type but survives in far smaller numbers than the contemporary sestertii and dupondii — the semis simply didn't circulate in the volumes that ensured survival.