This coin was sold to me as Alexander III, but with that legend around the head (bust?) I am not so sure. I can make some of the legend out, but not enough to help me to identify this coin. I have taken two photographs (light and dark) of each 90 degree quadrant of the Obverse side of the coin travelling in an 'anti-clockwise' direction. I have also taken two photographs of the Reverse side of this coin, (again, light and dark). Can you help me to attribute this one, please? Any help would be appreciated. Thank-you.
I don't think it is. Just doing a quick scan through wildwinds and I don't see any with legends on the obverse. Those legends also look to be in Latin and not in Greek. All the Alexandar III's I have seen have either Herakles or Apollo on the obverse as well. Here is my example:
It could be like this one. 293, Lot: 297. Estimate $1000. Sold for $850. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee. Nerva. AD 96-98. Æ Sestertius (33mm, 27.01 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 97. Laureate head right / Fortuna seated left, holding grain ears and holding scepter. RIC II 85. VF, green patina. Good portrait.
...there's not much left to ID, but i do see IMP and a Nerva nose ...maybe...i'd rule out it being Alexander lll tho..
Looks more like Trajan to me...I think I can make out the letters A-N to the right of the head, but the legends on Trajan’s coins are so long that it doesn’t help much. I can definitely see a little of the Nerva nose as well, tough to tell with this one.
Trajan was my first thought too. IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG [PM TR P?] .... A pretty simple legend for him probably an earlier issue? 98-99-100 AD Here are a couple of Trajans to compare portraits:
Or this (how many goes are you allowed) 128, Lot: 324. Estimate $100. Sold for $112. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee. TRAJAN. 98-117 AD. Æ Dupondius (28mm, 11.92 g, 7h). Struck 101-102 AD. Radiate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder / Abundantia or Justitia seated left on chair of two crossed cornucopiae, holding sceptre. RIC II 428 (Abundantia); BMCRE 749m (Justitia); Cohen 639 (Fortuna-Abundantia). VF, green patina with some red, areas of roughness.
Well, thank-you to everybody for all of that help. Useful comments, all. Esp. to @Justin Lee - You picked the legend and the Emp. very well, and to @Ancient Aussie (so close) . . . Because of ALL of the comments, and the positioning of the lettering, I am going with 98-117 A.D. Trajan AE Dupondius (78-99) RIC II 385. Thank-you ALL, again.
