Sale: Triton VI, Lot: 908. Estimate $2500.  Closing Date: Monday, 13 January 2003.  Sold For $3600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

PESCENNIUS NIGER. 193-194 AD. AR Denarius (2.42 gm). Caesarea in Cappadocia mint. IMP CAES C PESC NIGER IVST AVG, laureate head right / FIDEI E-XER-CITVI, three standards, the center one bearing a medallion inscribed VI/C AV/G in three lines. RIC IV 19 var. (draped and cuirassed); BMCRE pg. 76 var. (same); RSC 20 var. (same). EF, just a trace of light porosity. Extremely rare. ($2500)

From the Marc Melcher Collection.

One of Niger's rarest and most interesting reverse types. Prof. Buttrey, who is preparing a die study of the coinage of Pescennius Niger and has recorded over 1000 examples, states that only 6 examples with this reverse type are known to him, three with a draped and cuirassed bust, and three with laureate heads (this coin, one in Berlin and one in Lanz Auction 74, lot 586).