Roman Empire — Titus as Caesar Gold Aureus

Titus | AD 79–81, as Caesar under Vespasian | Rome Mint, AD 77–78 NGC Ch F | 7.15 grams | AV Aureus | Strike 5/5 | Surface 2/5 Obverse: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIANVS, laureate head of Titus right Reverse: COS VI — Roma seated upon shields, flanked by eagles, with the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus

This magnificent gold aureus of Titus captures the future emperor during the final years of his father's reign, when Titus was still Caesar and heir to the Roman throne. Struck at Rome around AD 77–78, the coin predates Titus' accession in AD 79 and therefore offers a remarkable glimpse of the young prince before he became the emperor remembered for the Colosseum, the destruction of Pompeii, and the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The obverse bears the powerful portrait of Titus with the legend T CAESAR IMP VESPASIANVS — explicitly identifying him as Caesar, son and designated successor of Vespasian.

The reverse is extraordinary in its symbolism. Roma, the personification of the Roman state, sits upon a pile of shields holding a spear, while eagles appear in flight around her. At her feet is perhaps the most iconic image of Roman identity: the she-wolf suckling the infant Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. The scene deliberately connects Titus and the Flavian dynasty with the ancient origins of Rome itself. The reverse type is notably based upon an earlier Republican design, making this small gold coin a fascinating bridge between Rome's Republican past and the imperial world of the Flavians. The British Museum records an example of this exact type and notes its Republican antecedent.

And there is an important distinction worth emphasizing for collectors: although the holder identifies Titus with his imperial dates of AD 79–81, this particular aureus was struck while he was still Caesar, around AD 77–78. Examples of this type are catalogued as RIC II.1 954 / Calicó 738, and comparable specimens are described as rare.

The 5/5 strike is especially impressive. The intricate composition demands an enormous amount from the dies — Roma, her shields and spear, the two flying eagles, and the tiny she-wolf with Romulus and Remus all compete for space on a coin barely 20 mm across. Here, the design remains remarkably legible, allowing the viewer to appreciate just how ambitious Roman die engraving could be. The surface does carry the noted graffiti/marks, reflected in the NGC 2/5 surface assessment, but the exceptional strike gives the coin tremendous visual presence.

Perhaps most compelling is what this aureus represents historically: Titus before Titus was emperor. This is the young Flavian prince, heir to Vespasian, appearing in gold beneath a design proclaiming the eternal identity of Rome itself. Within only a few years, Titus would succeed his father, complete the Colosseum, preside over the eruption of Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii, and earn a reputation in Roman memory as one of the more beloved emperors of the early Empire. This aureus preserves him at the beginning of that extraordinary story — not yet Augustus, but already wearing the laurels of Rome's future.