I came for the rarity … but stayed for the portrait. The provenance didn’t hurt either.
Titus
Æ Sestertius, 24.84g
Rome mint, 80-81 AD
Obv: IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l.
Rev: VICTORIA AVGVST; S C in field; Victory adv. l., with wreath and palm
RIC 183 (R2). BMC p. 261 ||. BNC 188.
Ex Harlan J Berk BBS 225, 30 November 2023, lot 106. Ex Curtis Clay collection. Ex CNG 50, 23 June 1999, lot 86. Ex Cornelius C. Vermeule Collection. Ex Glendining & Co. The V.J.E. Ryan Collection part V, 2 April 1952, lot 2391 (part).
An extremely rare sestertius struck in 80 or 81 during Titus’ great bronze issue. This is the first appearance of this Victory type on the coinage since earlier in Vespasian’s reign. Could the occasion of the opening games of the Colosseum possibly have inspired the mint engravers to bring this reverse out of retirement? A dedicatory inscription on the new amphitheatre declared it had been funded from ‘the spoils of war’ and Victory featured prominently in its decorative scheme. Notably missing from the BM.
Flavian Fanatic 