Watch List notes:

The Roman Empire

Domitian caesar, 69 - 81. Aureus circa 73, AV 7.38 g. CAES AVG F – DOMIT COS II Laureate head r. Rev. VES – TA Round temple of Vesta with four columns; statue of Vesta standing l. within the temple. In l. and r. field, two statues. C 614 var. (DOMITIAN). BMC Vespasian 412. RIC Vespasian 559. CBN –. Calicó 940 (this coin).
Very rare. A very attractive portrait and an interesting reverse.
Superb reddish tone and extremely fine

Ex Astarte 1, 1998, 235; Triton II, 1998, 866 and NAC 24, 2002, 56 sales.
Among the most elegant of all Roman architectural types is this issue depicting the Temple of Vesta. It is worth noting that it is one of the few Flavian reverse types that is wholly original, without a numismatic predecessor. This particular aureus, struck in the name of Domitian, theoretically should only have been struck for Vespasian or Titus. During the first three years of Vespasian's precious metal coinage (69/70, 70/71, 71/72), he struck only in his name. In the fourth full year, 72/3, he shared four of his eleven types with Titus, and introduced the Temple of Vesta type, which he assigned only to Titus. In the subsequent issue, 73, Vespasian shared it with Titus, and in its final year of production, 74, the type reverted to Titus only, just as it had begun. As an issue in the name of Domitian, there seems to be no rational explanation: 73 was the first year of issue for any precious metal coins in the name of Domitian, and though in this year he did share with his brother and father the generic 'Victory' quinarius, he was accorded one aureus type depicting him on horseback, a type which at the time was unique to him. Thus, in this coin we have a most unusual item, which not only is from the first year of Domitian's production, but, as T.V. Buttrey pointed out in his 1972 Numismatic Chronicle article "Vespasian as Moneyer", it also represents the only significant exception to the rigid pattern of Vespasian's coinage.