Denarius of Titus featuring the Capricorn

The jewel is based on a design inspired by a denarius of Titus struck in Rome in 79 AD at the beginning of his reign. Featuring the portrait of Titus on the obverse and a Capricorn atop a globe on the reverse, this issue (RIC 37/R, 17mm, approx. 3.4g) celebrates the new emperor.

The Mystery of the Date: August 24 or October 24? The traditional date of the eruption (August 24, 79 AD) is based on transcripts of a letter by Pliny the Younger, the original of which has not survived. Copies refer to different months—a confusion repeatedly generated during the manual transcription of the text. However, numerous archaeological clues suggest an autumn date: the presence of typical autumn fruits (walnuts, dried figs, chestnuts, and pomegranates); wine already sealed in dolia, signaling a completed harvest; and finally, clothing—casts of the victims show heavy wool garments suited for cold weather rather than August.

The Coin of Contention: The Denarius of Titus For years, a silver denarius discovered in the “House of the Golden Bracelet” was presented as the “definitive proof” that the eruption was postponed to October, based on the legible inscription IMP XV (Titus’s fifteenth imperial acclamation). Historical records attest that Titus was still at his fourteenth acclamation (IMP XIV) on September 8, 79 AD. If the coin bears IMP XV, it must have been minted after September 8, making an August eruption impossible.

The debate was fueled by the use of an idealized drawing of the coin instead of a photograph of the actual artifact. The drawing clearly showed the lettering required to support the thesis, but it did not match the physical object preserved at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Subsequent, more rigorous analyses debunked the case:

• Legibility: The coin is heavily oxidized, and the portion of the legend that should contain “XV” is actually off the flan.

• Missing Titles: The Pompeian coin lacks the letters P P (Pater Patriae). Since issues with IMP XV always carry the title P P, the absence of these letters confirms the coin belongs to an earlier issue, likely from July 79 AD.

The coin proves nothing after September 8; it could have been struck at any time after July 1. Although the coin is no longer the smoking gun due to forced readings and a lack of scientific precision, the autumn hypothesis remains the most probable.