Rare Mint

246, Lot: 208. Estimate $150. Sold for $1200. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

THRACE, Philippensium. Divus Trajan. Died AD 117. Æ (24mm, 6.52 g, 1h). Struck under Gallienus(?). DIVO TRAIANO, radiate head right / [HERO] AVLONITE, RPCP below, the Hero Aulonites on horseback right, brandishing a lance. M. Amandry, “Le Monnayage de la Res Publica Coloniae Philippensium,” Essays to Schonert-Geiss, 3 (D2/R1). VF, dark green patina, porous and rough. Very rare.

The city of Philippensium struck only a small issue of coinage consisting only of Divus types. Amandry records only 22 coins struck in the names of Divus Augustus, Divus Trajan and Divus Marcus Aurelius. Only three obverse dies are recorded, one for each ruler, and reverse die links show that these coins were all struck at the same time. This cataloger has seen only one other coin from this city (see VAuctions Sale 214, lot 28).