Sestertius of Trajan

This large Roman coin was unearthed by Bob Greenaway, who said it was better than average in terms of its condition. It’s a sestertius and after failing to pin it down Bob asked if I could provide him with further details.

On the obverse is a very long legend but hardly any of it shows up. The reverse is better but the edge is badly chipped. When coins like this come to the surface after being buried for close to two thousand years they can be very brittle. It’s not unusual for parts of the edge to start flaking away within seconds of the coin being unearthed.

My starting point was the obverse, on which the emperor looks like Trajan. After looking through volume II of David Sear’s Roman Coins and Their Values I pinned the coin down as number 3195. In Roman Imperial Coins the reference number is 492.

If the full legend on the obverse was visible then it would read IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIAN AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P around the laureate head of the emperor. On the reverse the standing figure of Annona holds a cornucopia in one hand and in the other some corn ears over a modius; she is flanked by S C and to her right is the prow of a ship. The legend on the reverse reads S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI.

The type isn’t particularly scarce and the overall condition could be better but this large sestertius still counts as a really good detecting find.

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