Sale: Nomos 8, Lot: 223. Estimate CHF975.  Closing Date: Monday, 21 October 2013.  Sold For CHF1700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Trajan. AD 98-117. Denarius (Silver, 17mm, 2.95 g 6), Rome, 106-107. IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P Heroic laureate bust of Trajan to left, with slight drapery on his near shoulder. Rev. S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI Genius of the Roman People standing left, holding cornucopiae in his left hand and sacrificing over a burning altar from a patera held in his right. BMC p. 60, note to 206. BN -. Cohen -. RIC 185. Very rare. Toned and with an unusual left-facing bust. Some minor metal faults, otherwise, about extremely fine.

From a northern European collection, ex Rauch 84, 13 May 2009, 486.

Left facing portraits were a sign that the coins on which they appeared were produced for a special event, perhaps a donative. They emphasized the power of the emperor and would have been struck in relatively small numbers.