Naville Numismatics Ltd.
Auction 50 23 Jun 2019
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Titus, 79-81 Sestertius circa 80-81, Æ 35mm., 24.94g. Laureate head r. Rev. Annona standing l., holding statuette of Aequitas and cornucopia; at feet to l., modius with grain ears; stern of ship to r. C –. RIC 136.
Attractive green patina, Very Fine/Good Very Fine.
For someone who died at the relatively young age of 41, Titus was able to accomplish a great many things. Even as a youth, when he counted Britannicus, the ill-fated son of Claudius, among his close friends, Titus was recognized as having poten- tial. Suetonius (Titus 2) tells us that ...when one day Claudius' freedman Narcissus called in a physiognomist to examine Britannicus' features and prophesy his future, he was told most emphatically that Britannicus would never succeed his father, whereas Titus (who happened to be present) would achieve that distinction." In the eyes of his fellow Romans, Titus' greatest accomplishment perhaps was the siege of Jerusalem, which essentially brought an end to the Jewish War. It was a remarkable task of enginee- ring genius and perseverance that he orchestrated personally after his father had departed Judaea to pursue his ambition to become Rome's next emperor. Upon returning to the capital, Titus' contributions to the empire were not quite so spectacular, but valuable none the less. For the decade before he became emperor, Titus was the backbone of his father's administration. When he finally became emperor, Titus' popularity rose once again. Though he was privileged to dedicate the Colosseum, he also had to suffer the terrible consequences of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This sestertius of A.D. 80-81 was engraved in exceptional style, with a portrait of the best quality. The reverse type is realised as if it was a miniature sculpture, with the artist achieving a great depth of field that breathes life into the scene of Annona holding a statuette of Aequitas as she stands beside the stern of a vessel.
In addition, winning bids of EEC clients for this coin are subject to a 5% fee on hammer price as a reimbursement for import duty paid to HMRC."
Attractive green patina, Very Fine/Good Very Fine.
For someone who died at the relatively young age of 41, Titus was able to accomplish a great many things. Even as a youth, when he counted Britannicus, the ill-fated son of Claudius, among his close friends, Titus was recognized as having poten- tial. Suetonius (Titus 2) tells us that ...when one day Claudius' freedman Narcissus called in a physiognomist to examine Britannicus' features and prophesy his future, he was told most emphatically that Britannicus would never succeed his father, whereas Titus (who happened to be present) would achieve that distinction." In the eyes of his fellow Romans, Titus' greatest accomplishment perhaps was the siege of Jerusalem, which essentially brought an end to the Jewish War. It was a remarkable task of enginee- ring genius and perseverance that he orchestrated personally after his father had departed Judaea to pursue his ambition to become Rome's next emperor. Upon returning to the capital, Titus' contributions to the empire were not quite so spectacular, but valuable none the less. For the decade before he became emperor, Titus was the backbone of his father's administration. When he finally became emperor, Titus' popularity rose once again. Though he was privileged to dedicate the Colosseum, he also had to suffer the terrible consequences of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This sestertius of A.D. 80-81 was engraved in exceptional style, with a portrait of the best quality. The reverse type is realised as if it was a miniature sculpture, with the artist achieving a great depth of field that breathes life into the scene of Annona holding a statuette of Aequitas as she stands beside the stern of a vessel.
In addition, winning bids of EEC clients for this coin are subject to a 5% fee on hammer price as a reimbursement for import duty paid to HMRC."