I just picked up this Trajan as. The contrast really appeals to me and it seems to be in a good state of preservation. I realize that “desert” or sand patina is often faked. Does the coin being in a comment free NGC holder signify that the patina is most likely natural? It’s in an economy NGC holder but I’ve seen those holders with comments as well. Also the patina completely covers the edge.
Looks legit to me. The ability to see a small portion of part of the coin's edge in the photographs is helpful (and significant imho) in assessing the patina's genuineness. Whoever restored this example did an excellent job of knowing what to excavate and what to leave alone. Knowing when to stop work toward the process of restoration is a key part of the necessary skillset for the task. Beautiful obverse!