Sestertius - Domitian S C, Spes

Struck during Titus's reign but issued under Domitian's name as Caesar — not yet emperor — this sestertius belongs to a transitional moment when Domitian held the title of Caesar under his brother. The Spes (Hope) type carried specific political weight here: broadcasting dynastic continuity while Titus, already ill, ruled a Rome still recovering from the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD and a devastating fire that struck the city in 80. Domitian became emperor within months of this coin's production.