The Coins of Titus: Some Remarks on Roman Restitution Coins
Katarzyna BALBUZA
Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań , PolandAbstract
The restitution coins struck during the reign of Titus, the earliest coins in the category of nummi restituti, commemorated Titus’s eminent predecessors, the Roman Senate as a political institution, as well as some types of early Caesarean coins. Arguably, this restitution coinage played a role in disseminating the ideology of the power of Titus, and it served his self-presentation, thus contributing to the image of a ruler who took power in a legal way. On the one hand, the restitution coins in question emphasized Titus’s status and role, consisting in: providence (Providentia), commitment to the State, prevention of domestic conflicts, victoriousness (the coins show him as a continuator of the early viri triumphales tradition), concern for peace (Pax), and freedom (Libertas). One the other hand, the restitution coins underscored the political succession to the throne (Providentia). Owing to his attributes, perpetuated in the restitution coins, and to the legitimacy of his rule, the Caesar guaranteed unbroken continuity of the State.
Keywords:
nummi restituti, restitution coins, Roman coins, viri triumphales, Titus, Flavian dynastyAdam Mickiewicz University, Poznań
