Titus, Felicitas Sestertius

Titus Flavius Vespasianus, born A.D. 39. Titus was the eldest son of Vespasian and served on military assignments in Britain and Germany. He rose through various offices but gained his greatest fame as legionary commander in the Judean war. The Hasmonean Temple was destroyed and Jerusalem captured in A.D. 70. Upon his return in 71 he was made co-emperor with his father. Several other notable events occured during his brief reign as Augustus: Mount Vesuvius erupted burying Pompeii and Herculaneum; a large fire ravaged the center of Rome; & plague was breaking out all over the empire. On a more positive note the Flavian Amphitheater, the famed Colosseum, was dedicated in late A.D. 80. This Felicitas issue was minted to help calm the despair of the populace during his public festivals. Titus dies prematurely in the summer of A.D. 81 - his passing was greatly mourned.
OB: IMP T CAES VESP AVG PM TR P PP COS VIII (80 AD); laureate head right. RX: FELICIT PVBLIC S C; Felicitas standing left. 25.3 gm, 33mm.