A Distinguished Collection of Roman Bronze Coins, the Property of a Gentleman

Roman Imperial Coinage, Trajan, Sestertius, Rome, 103-11, laureate bust right, imp caes nervae traiano avg ger dac p m tr p cos v p p, rev. spqr optimo principi, Dacia, in attitude of mourning, seated left on shield, trophy in front, s c in exergue, 25.33g (RIC 560; C 531). Better than very fine, dark patina £300-400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Distinguished Collection of Roman Bronze Coins, the Property of a Gentleman.

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Provenance: Bt Seaby February 1934.

Following a campaign in 101-2, Trajan was forced to return to Dacia in 105 to quell incursions across the Danube into Moesia. At first indecisive, the Romans gained the upper hand and captured the Dacian capital of Sarmizegetusa in the summer of 106. The Dacian king Decabalus fled and, followed by Roman cavalry, committed suicide rather than surrender. Not only did the Romans acquire the late king’s fortune in gold and silver but the rich gold mines of Dacia are thought to have contributed the equivalent of 700 million denarii per annum to the Roman economy for decades to come