Watch List notes:

The Roman Empire
Titus augustus, 79 – 81

Cistophoric tetradrachm struck in Rome 80-81 for circulation in Asia, AR 11.17 g. IMP TITVS CAES – VESPASIAN AVG P M Laureate head r. Rev. CA – PIT Tetrastyle temple enclosing figures of Juno along with seated Jupiter and Minerva; in exergue, RESTIT. C –. BMC 1948. RIC 515. RPC 860. CBN 111.
Extremely rare. Old cabinet tone and very fine


Ex Helios 4, 2009, A. Lynn, 317; CNG 57, 2001, 1151 and Gemini IX, 2012, Harry N. Sneh, 458 sales.

A fairly recent addition to the Roman imperial corpus: though this reverse type has long been known on cistophori of Domitian as Augustus in 82 AD (Cohen 23, 100 Frs.), this counterpart of Titus struck a year or two earlier was apparently unknown until the BM acquired a specimen in 1948. Since then at least five other specimens have emerged: (1) Hess-Leu, 24 March 1959, lot 342, acquired by the Berne museum; (2) Leu 50, 25 April 1990, lot 295, acquired by Paris; (3) ANS, Ben Damsky Gift; (4) Berk 124, 3 January 2002, lot 448 (same obverse die as ours); finally (5) the present coin, ex CNG 57, 4 April 2001, lot 1151.