Sale: CNG 63, Lot: 1213. Estimate $2000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 21 May 2003.  Sold For $2000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

AUGUSTUS. 27 BC-14 AD. AR Denarius (3.22 gm). Restitution issue struck circa 2nd century AD. Laureate head of Augustus right with the features of Trajan / Caius and Lucius Caesars standing facing, shield and spears between them; above, simpulum on left to the left, and lituus on right to the right. Cf. RIC I 208; BMCRE 536 (pl. 13, 18)(misattributed to the reign of Augustus); cf. RSC 43. Lightly toned, good VF. Very rare. ($2000)

The style and fabric of this coin suggest that it belongs to an anonymous restitution issue of either Trajan or Hadrian. The restitution issues of Trajan are well known since the coins are marked with Trajanic legends. The fact that this coin retains its original legend without any mention of the issuer suggests that it is not part of the great restitution series of Trajan, but part of a later anonymous issue. Three other specimens have appeared at auction recently, the first in the Gil Steinberg Collection (Numismatica Ars Classica, 16 November 1994), lot 181, the second in Numismatica Ars Classica 8 (3 April 1995), lot 754, and the third in Triton I (2-3 December 1997), lot 1283. This specimen is struck from the same obverse die as the Triton I specimen, and all the other examples are from different, yet similar, dies. Apart from style, on all four specimens the lituus has a split base and is turned to the right, and the simpulum is large and rather bulbous and turned to the left, features not seen on the issues of Augustus.