Wreathed in glory as the Ruler of Rome

Domitian; 81-96 AD, Rome, 81 AD, Denarius,

3.36g.

IMP CAES DOMITIAN AVG PONT Head laureate r. Rx: P P COS VII - DES VIII Wreath on curule chair. Ex Curtis L. Clay Collection. Rare early PONT issue, not yet PONT MAX..

RIC-9 (R2), pl. 117 (same dies).

Ex Harlan Berk Bid or Buy sale #224 Lot # 141

Here is another fabulous denarius for Domitian. It is also fabulously rare. It is also another coin from the Curtis Clay collection. He collected some of the rarest and most interesting Domitian denarii as part of his vast collection. of ancient coins.

Take a look at the reverse. The fact that the 'PP' comes at the beginning of the legend makes this coin a Group 2 denarius. All group 2 denarii are from either very rare or extremely rare. Some are only known from 1 or 2 examples. I find it somewhat amusing that I had tried to find one for ten years and then bought 2 from the same sale! Both of them are also from Curtis Clay's collection. The other one I bought, RIC 8, is posted elsewhere on this blog.