Triton XIX, Lot: 522. Estimate $1000. Sold for $900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Nerva. AD 96-98. Æ Dupondius (27mm, 12.87 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 96. IMP NERVΛ CAES AVG • P M TR P COS II P P, radiate head right / FORTVNA ΛVGVST, S C low across field, Fortuna, draped, standing left, holding rudder set on ground in right hand and coruncopia in left. RIC II 61; BMCRE 93; BN 78-9. Good VF, dark green patina, some red and tan. Artistic dies.

From the J. Eric Engstrom Collection. Ex Gemini III (9 January 2007), lot 358.

Nerva assumed power in AD 96, continuing use of only one of Domitian’s coin reverse types; namely, that of Fortuna. Nerva changed the reverse legend from FORTVNA AVGVSTI to FORTVNA AVGVST. This example is intriguing, because it seems to have been struck from an actual reverse die for Domitian, changed to a die of Nerva by removing much of the final letter of the legend.