Obverse: Bust of the emperor wearing a radial crown to the right, in the rim the legend IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XIIII CENS PER PP.
Reverse: Virtus in helmet and toga, standing right, holding spear and parazonium, between S-C, in the rim legend VIRTVTI AVGVSTI
Bronze, diameter 26 x 28 mm, weight 11.45 g.
Provenance: Nomisma Asta 5, no. 237: 01.2013; Auction 13 Marciniak, no. 6242: 02.2021.
Of note on the reverse is the depiction of Virtus as a female deity / personification with a spear and parazonium (parade sword), which in this shape first appeared with Honos on the rare Galba sesterce (RIC 474-478), and independently just on the reverse of Domitian's bronze denominations. For more on this subject, see the article by B. Avianovich here.
