Domitian Caesar Silver Denarius 80-1 AD Flaming and Garlanded Altar

 

RS116524. Silver denarius, RIC II-1 Titus 266; RSC II 397a; BMCRE II Titus 92; BnF III Titus 76; SRCV I 2676, Hunter I 6, Choice F, excellent portrait, well centered, toned, 3.229g, 18.1mm, 180^o, Rome mint, CAESAR DIVI F DOMITIANVS COS VII (Latin: Caesar Divi Vespasiani Filius Domitianus Consul Septimum - Caesar, son of the divine, Domitian, consul seven times)·, laureate head right; reverse PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS (Latin: the first of youths), flaming and garlanded altar

 

Struck while Titus was the augustus and Domitian was the caesar. Divi F[ilius] in the obverse legend declares that Domitian is 'son of the divine.' Domitian's father, Vespasian, had been deified by the Senate and Domitian was now the son of a god. The obverse legend on this type often ends with a pronounced dot, which sometimes looks like an extra digit, but VIII is impossible because it does not exist.