I think about getting this Trajan Sestertius. The seller confesses "slightly smoothed fields", but doesn´t it look like that some details (hair, Aegis, reverse figure) have also been "improved" by a skilled engraver? Ot the other hand it totally fits into my target group of Sestertii: I love the yellow tone, detail, and overall eye appeal - and it is a big improvement over my current Trajan. Would you go for it?
Eh, I'd leave it, it just doesn't look... it looks too good from the tooling. But, I'd wait for others opinions first.
Does it look like someone (whether the original celator or a much-later engraver I don't know) has carved a face into Trajan's shoulder on the right side of the obverse?
I think the coin looks "nice". By that I mean some Trajan, on this coin, has been to the beauty shop and came back with all of his hair in place. I would expect a coin with the details in his hair to have some flow marks..... and I see none. I think the bumps on Roma's boots are modern art work. That said, I voted to make an offer $250 or less. Depending of budget and patience you can find a really good coin of similar type, but this one would look good in a group of sesterii. A quick look at acsearch finds quite a few others with smoothing and or tooling.
good observation @hoth2 , I missed that. There are a couple sold by NAC that have similar features. Most have a robe only. A Roman Imperial expert should comment on that feature. NAC called the feature an Aegis. If you are like me, I had to google the word. This link calls this a face of Medusa(?). http://snible.org/coins/aegis2.html
The smoothing is obvious, but from the photo I cant tell if there is any tooling (as I get older its harder to see without magnification). Either way, I cant see it selling for much less than the $500 you mention. If there is smoothing it will be on the reverse. If you are hesitant, dont buy it. There will always be another. On the other hand, it cant hurt to make the seller an offer (if its a fixed price, is an auction that is another matter).
That's an Aegis (head of Medusa). From Forum's Numiswiki: AEGIS. - This, according to the Greek etymology of the word, was the skin of a goat; some authors affirming it to be that of the goat Amalthea, others pretending it to have been the skin of the destructive monster, Aegis, whom Minerva fought and slew - after which she is said to have placed its skin over her breast, partly to serve as a garment, partly as a protection against dangers, but also as a lasting evidence of her bravery: in the sequel she placed on it the snake-haired head of Medusa. Roman Emperors often appear, in their status and on their coins, with their chests covered with the Aegis as with a cuirass; and several coins of Domitian and of Trajan exhibit those Emperors, with the head of Medusa affixed to the bust, as part of the body armour. It's a great sub-collection to get Emperors with the Aegis.
This coin is much, much better than any of this type that I've been able to find on ACSEARCH. The smoothing in the obverse and reverse fields is obvious, but as for tooling, nothing jumps out at me based on the limited detail/resolution in the picture you posted. Usually, fine detail that's been re-engraved tends to look sharp-edged, but the fine detail on this coin just looks as if it's only been slightly worn from minimal circulation. The weakness in the reverse legend in the 1 - 4 o'clock area ("PRINCIP") could be due to a weak strike or thinner flan in that area. I'm not an expert at detecting subtle tooling, and higher resolution pictures would help. This is a stunningly attractive coin. Personally, if it were a coin that I wanted and did not have the services of a dealer to examine it for tooling, I would purchase it under the condition that I would have an expert evaluate it and be able to return it if the expert decided it had been tooled.
By posting this question for a coin currently up for auction you'll only draw more attention to it, lowering your chances of winning and perhaps interfering with the plans of other CoinTalkers who might be targeting the coin. This Trajan sestertius is in a very popular auction known for low opening bids. The closing price will be strong for this exceptional coin, for reasons IOM has stated. Also, the coin is from a notable collection-- an old pedigree. Despite the smoothing in the fields this coin is going to sell high. If in the future you need help deciding whether to buy a coin, it really is best to ask a few people by private message rather than by a public post. If you're just wanting to discuss a coin to get opinions on whether it has been tooled or for other reasons, it is best to post it after the auction closes.
Update: The OP coin was finally sold for 2000 CHF = 2.111 USD (plus 20 % buyer´s fee) yesterday - more than 13 times the minimum bid. Out of frustration I went for another Sestertius of the Stoecklin Collection at the same Auction and won it for less than twice the minimum bid
There were quite a few votes that the OP piece was a low-value coin. https://nomosag.com/default.aspx?pa...onid=9&id=244&p=3&s=&ca=0&co=0&re=0&ci=0&ru=0 Now that the auction is over we can see what people who know valuable coins well thought. The catalogers at Nomos are among the finest in the world. This coin is superb. If you thought otherwise, take this chance to learn. Look at it closely (the pictures are very good) and update your thoughts about value.
From what I saw, most went for (many) multiples of minimum bid, so it seems you got really lucky. Let us see it!
I think it looks fantastic and if I had enough assurances of its authenticity, I'd go for it, tooling or not. This is just based on my very first gut impression on seeing it. I will defer to those more experienced to give you better advice. I very, very seriously doubt anyone is going to be able to buy that for less than $500. And even $750 seems cheap.