Roman Provincial, Lycia, Domitian, Drachm - rare

Roman Provincial

Domitian (81-96), Drachm year 14 (95), probably Rome mint

Obverse: head, laureate right

AVT KAIC ΔOMITIANOC CEBACTOC ΓEΡM

Reverse: two lyres, above owl

ETOYC IΔ YΠATOY IZ

Weight 3.49 g

Domitian minted Lycian drachms in AD 95, the first issues of a silver Lycian coin since Claudius. They are in an elegant Roman style and are therefore assumed to be probably minted at the Rome mint. Surprisingly, the analysis of coins from this series by K. Butcher and M. Ponting shows that these drachms were struck in Greek silver with an 80% fineness, which means that they are of a different metal and have a different fineness than Roman denarii of that time. The Lycian drachms were similar in size to the denarius and circulated fairly widely throughout the empire.