There is no doubt that Minerva took pride and place among all the deities with Domitian. His coinage is chock full of her image on all denominations and metals. Suetonious says that Domitian 'worshipped with superstitious veneration' the goddess. My latest coin demonstrates how thankful Domitian was for her protection. Domitian Æ Sestertius, 25.18g Rome mint, 85 AD Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XI CENS POT P P; Head of Domitian, laureate, r., with aegis Rev: S C in field; Domitian stg. l., sacrificing with patera over altar in front of shrine containing cult statue of Minerva RIC 355 (C). BMC 336. BNC 356. Acquired from Castellet Classical Numismatics, December 2020. 85 AD saw the mint at Rome introduce many new types on Domitian's aes coinage. This sestertius from the second issue of the year shows Domitian sacrificing in front of a small shrine. Mattingly in BMCRE (p. xciii) had this to say concerning the type - 'Minerva is not represented here by her own types, as on the gold and silver, but by a type that recurs year after year of Domitian sacrificing before the goddess in a shrine. While recording his achievements, Domitian does not omit to acknowledge the goddess to whom they are due.' The nod here to Minerva is quite pious. The shrine in question is a mystery and may perhaps just be a generic design to frame the cult image. Please show your coins featuring shrines or pious activities. NB: In honour of the dark milk chocolate toning of my new piece, I celebrated its arrival with a pint of Ohio based Graeter's Dutch Milk Chocolate ice cream - the best chocolate ice cream commercially available! (I know it's a stretch, but any excuse is a good excuse for Graeter's!)
Here are two examples from my collection depicting Domitian's pious activities. A sestertius similar to the one posted by David, and a dupondius struck on occasion of the Ludi Saeculares.
I can't speak to whether or not Graeter's Dutch Milk Chocolate ice cream is the best or not, but I noticed that the patina on the obverse portrait has been worn off in places, revealing the deep golden orichalcum beneath. If you truly want to celebrate this coins' arrival, may I suggest you add a little butterscotch syrup to the center of your bowl? Beautiful coin. Congratulations.
Nice coin, @David Atherton, with a lovely patina, indeed! Speaking of milk-chocolate patinas on sestertii featuring pious activities, how about this sestertius of the wife of Antoninus PIUS -- piously wearing a veil -- featuring the personification of piety itself, PIETAS, piously burning incense? Let's throw in the dupondius version, too, as a bonus!
Very nice David. It is a lovely coin. Here is one of my favourites . It celebrates the Ludi Saeculares.
I only have 1 Domitian which I think I’ve posted too often, so I’ll just chime in to say as Midwesterner, Graeter’s is the best ice cream anywhere in the world
While I've no comment about the post's subject per se, my wife will agree with you about Graeter's. Now, I, the heretic, speak: While there is a Graeter's five minutes from my house, and many more shops less than a half hour away, not to mention those at Kroger's down the street, I am content with Kroger's cheap stuff. I guess that's why I prefer a stavraton of John V or successors to a Syracusan tetradrachm designed by Kimon. De gustibus non est disputandum.....
