HistoricalCoins


            Research Sold Coins 
            Search : Back to Search Results 
            « Previous : Next » 

Sale: Triton VII, Lot: 918. Closing Date: Jan 
12, 2004. TRAJAN. 98-117 AD. AV Aureus (7.27 
gm). Struck mid-Summer 116 AD. Estimate $7500 
Sold For $8500 

            TRAJAN. 98-117 AD. AV Aureus (7.27 gm). Struck 
            mid-Summer 116 AD. IMP CAES NER TRAIAN OPTIM AVG 
            GER DAC PARTHICO, laureate bust right, aegis on 
            left shoulder; globe at base of bust / P M TR P 
            COS VI P P S P Q R, PARTHIA CAPTA in exergue, 
            Parthia seated left, head facing, in attitude of 
            mourning, and Parthian seated right in attitude of 
            mourning below trophy. RIC II 325; cf. Strack 247e 
            (no globe at base of bust); BMCRE 606; Calicó 
            1036; Cohen 186. Good VF, underlying luster. [See 
            color enlargement on plate 17] ($7500)

            Three obverse types can be associated with this 
            reverse. The most common shows Trajan laureate, 
            draped, and cuirassed (RIC II 324); the middle, 
            heroic type is similar to our coin, but without 
            the globe at the base of the bust; and the third 
            type is our coin. Early in 116 AD, Trajan crossed 
            the Tigris, captured Seleucia and Ctesiphon in 
            mid-summer, and from there, made his way to the 
            Persian Gulf. During Trajan's successful advance 
            through Parthian territory, he remained in the 
            guise of a victorious imperator, as evidenced by 
            the first bust type. His successful conquest of 
            Rome's chief rival introduced the heroic bust 
            type, and particularly as evidenced by the aegis, 
            signalled Trajan's association not only with the 
            gods, but also Alexander the Great. Finally, the 
            inclusion of the globe beneath the bust indicated 
            that he had brought all the world under Roman 
            control. (For coins of Trajan's Parthian opponent, 
            Osroes I, see lots 497-8.)





Copyright © CNG 2002
Developed by DataArt 2002

           
From Triton VII. By permission of cng, www.cngcoins.com