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Sestertius - Domitian S C
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 85 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Sestertius = 1/4 Denarius |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate bust of Emperor Domitian facing right, depicted with a draped and cuirassed shoulder, rendered in high relief typical of Flavian imperial portraiture. The emperor's facial features are strongly modelled, conveying imperial authority. A beaded border encircles the field. The encircling Latin legend reads IMP CAES DOMITIAN AVG GERM COS XI, identifying Domitian as Imperator, Caesar, Augustus, conqueror of Germania, and Consul for the eleventh time. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Domitian's sestertii of 85 AD were struck in the immediate aftermath of his assumption of the title "Germanicus" following campaigns against the Chatti — a title he awarded himself despite considerable senatorial skepticism about the military's actual achievements. Tacitus and Pliny the Younger were both scathing. The S C authorization formula on bronzes of this period remained a nominal senate prerogative, though under Domitian that body exercised no meaningful control over monetary policy.
RIC II.1 #279 falls within a tightly documented emission sequence; the updated Carradice-Buttrey revision significantly reshuffled earlier RIC numbering for this reign, so older auction references citing the first edition require cross-checking.