Ephesian Domitian ???

Domitian as Caesar; 70-81 AD, Annulet Mint, 76 AD, Denarius,

3.06g. RIC-1496 (R2).

Obv: CAE[SAR AVG F] - DOMITIANVS Head laureate r.

Rev: PON MAX (from lower r.) TR P COS IIII Winged caduceus.

RIC-1496 (R2)

Ex Curtis L. Clay Collection.; Ex Harlan Berk Bid or Buy sale #224 Lot # 131

I love this one for the interesting portrait. In RIC, this coin is part of a group for which a specific mint cannot be identified. The speculation is that it was struck in Ephesus, which is now part of Turkey. It does resemble the coins of Ephesus, especially when regarding the portrait which is very unlike the portraits on the coins struck in Rome for Domitian.

Another interesting aspect of this coin concerns the reverse. The winged staff would have been a powerful symbol for the Roman population. It represented the prosperity that the emperor would bring to Rome. This is not the only interesting aspect of this coin. It was once owned by Curtis Clay, a numismatist of the highest order. I feel privileged to own this coin that once belonged to him.

This coin is rated R2 by RIC. This means that very few examples are known to exist. Some collectors do not care about rarity, but I think the rarity adds character to the coin.