In my old collection assembled many years ago I had a single Trajan, a semis featuring Trajan's column on the reverse. Unfortunately I sold that collection in the 1990's to fund my college education, so I was ecstatic when this coin came up on @John Anthony 's auction for an unbelievable price. It's a bit worn but the portrait is very nice. In some ways it's great to pick up coins with some wear because that means it was passed around quite frequently in the commerce of the day. Type: AR Denarius, A.D. 98-117, 18 mm 2.8 grams Obverse: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P Laureate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder Reverse: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI Spes walking left, holding flower and raising hem of skirt Reference: RIC 191 Anyway, I hope you like it.
That’s a great coin @ancient coin hunter ! I should have been paying more attention to John's auction! I would have provided some competitive bidding I'm gradually (very gradually) putting together a collection of the denarii of “The Five Good Emperors.” I’m never going to be able to afford to collect denarii of all of the emperors so I'll be happy with the ones considered by many to be the five good ones. So far I have two Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius
I've got four of the five "good emperors" with the exception of Nerva. Need to pick one of those up. I also need a Commodus who definitely wasn't a good emperor, lol
I'm also missing Nerva, though I'm in no real hurry to complete the set. I love the OP coin. Its got honest wear and makes you think just hkw many Roman hands touched that coin in it's many decades in circulation. Here is my Trajan denarius.
No, it's not...and it was priced accordingly. Glad I bought it, but if I had pinched my pennies and gone for a VF example, I could have bought myself a decent VF Nerva at the same time. Maybe then I wouldn't be missing a Nerva. Well, ok, I could have gotten a Nerva any time from them till now, but you get the point.
Would it take the fun out of it if participants in Secret Saturnalia also posted what they hope Santa brings them? I'm sure there would be some jokers who would ask for an EID MAR but you might increase your chance of getting a Trajan if people knew you were hoping for a 'good emperor' as opposed to something else in the reasonable range.
I have been given a poster for my SS that I have been unable to guess what he/she might like. Very few posts from this CTer so I have no clue. I almost wish we could have a "wish list" like I used to get from my kids.
I see your point, but in all reality I was kidding (maybe ) The OP is a nice coin that I honestly liked when offered by JA recently, had it been offered at a different time I most certainly would have bid on it.
I know I've posted the second coin a few times but not sure about the first. Other than these I've bombarded threads with my others. @Sallent that is a sweet Mars My newest Trajan but first Ae Trajan, AD 98-117. Æ10, 8.6g, 12h. SYRIA, Cyrrhestica, Cyrrhus. Obv.: AVTOKP KAIC NEP TPAIANOS APIST CEB ΓEPM DAK ΠAΡΘI; Laureate head right. Rev.: KYPPHC/TWN in two lines; A below; all within wreath. Reference:Butcher 1; BMC 2; SNG Copenhagen 45 var. (B on reverse). Ex-JAZ Newest Trajan Denarius (was added in July) Roman Empire, Trajan 98-117, Denarius, 2.86g: Obv: Laureate head of Trajan right "IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TR P" Rev: "COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC" Aequitas standing left holding a cornucopiae and scales.. RSC 85.
