Obolos 38

Trajan, 98-117. As (Bronze, 28.5 mm, 10.47 g, 6 h), Rome, 107-108. IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P laureate and draped half-bust of Trajan to right, wearing grand aegis. Rev. S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI / S-C Aquila between two standards. RIC 588 var.= Woytek 295 var. (bust type). Cf. Woytek 338u (bust type, but for a different type and denomination). Extremely rare and unpublished bust-type for denomination; the better of only two known. Very fine.

From the collection of James Lamb, acquired from Edward Waddell in the early 1990s.

When Bernhard Woytek published MIR 14 on the Reichsprägung des Kaisers Traianus, he was aware that this exceptional bust type - labelled 'type U' by him - existed. However, he only knew of five sestertii featuring it. All of them coming from the same obverse die and depicting a majestically standing Spes on the reverse. Following the classification established by J.M.C. Toynbee, he referred to the coins with type U bust with "grande égide" (Bastien) as medallic coins. Medallic coins are defined as currency money with S-C designation, which also share elements with proper medallions and therefore occupy the middle ground between coins and medallions. Woytek only learned of the existence of this bust type in middle-size (As) bronze coins several years later and only from a single harshly "improved" specimen in a private collection. Only this coin from the Lamb collection now on offer in obolos finally confirms the existence of an As-die with this spectacular medallic bust type and B. Woytek will publish this coin in a forthcoming paper on the bust types of Trajan.