Titus. Dupondius

Titus; 79-81 AD, Uncertain Thracian or Eastern Mint, 80-1 AD, Dupondius, 12.09g. RIC-T503A (online). Obv: IMP T CAESAR DIVI VESP F AVG P M around, Head radiate r. Rx: ROMA on l., S C in exergue, Roma seated l. on cuirass and two shields, holding wreath before her in r. hand and parazonium behind her with bent l. arm. Ex Curtis L. Clay Collection. This coin and the next two in the catalogue seem to come from a hitherto unrecognized small non-Roman issue, presumably struck in Thrace, Asia Minor, or Syria, or in Rome for use elsewhere. The first two coins indeed share their ROMA seated reverse type with dupondii struck for Titus and Domitian at an uncertain Thracian mint, but their obverse legend is different and original, IMP T CAESAR DIVI VESP F AVG P M. The third coin also uses a different obverse legend than the uncertain Thracian mint, namely IMP T CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS VIII, but copies its reverse type from dupondii of Vespasian dated six years earlier, with legend PON MAX TR POT P P COS V CENS. There is no parallel at the uncertain Thracian mint for the use of such old or misdated reverse dies, suggesting that our two new types were struck at a different mint.. Fine