578306. Titus. AD 79-81. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.48 g, 5h). Rome mint. Struck January-June AD 80. IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M, laureate head right / TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P, Pulvinar (throne) of Jupiter and Juno: square seat, draped, with tassels; triangular frame on which are six vertical bars and one palmette. RIC II.1 124; RSC 313a. Patches of iridescent tone with golden highlights. EF. $1850
577805. Titus. AD 79-81. Æ As (29mm, 10.45 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 80-81. IMP • T CAES VESP AVG P • M • TR • P COS VIII, laureate head left / VICTOR IΛ AVGVST, Victory, draped, advancing right on prow, holding palm frond in left hand over left shoulder and holding up wreath in right hand; S C across field. RIC II.1 249; BMCRE 217 var. (head right); BN 223. Red-brown patina, small areas of light roughness on reverse. EF. Handsome portrait. $3750 Ex Jack A. Frazer Collection; Sternberg XXVIII (30 October 1995), lot 59; August Voirol Collection (Münzen und Medaillen AG 38, 7 December 1968), lot 393; Prince Waldeck Collection (Münzhandlung Basel 3, 4 March 1935), lot 271.
576474. Trajan. AD 98-117. Æ Sestertius (34.5mm, 23.91 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 101-102. IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG GERM P M, laureate bust right, slight drapery / TR POT COS IIII P P, Pax seated left, holding olive branch and scepter; S C in exergue. RIC II 432 var. (bust type); Woytek 107b; Banti 337. Glossy green patina, very minor smoothing. EF. Boldly struck, with a magnificent portrait. $45,000 When Trajan entered his fourth consulship in AD 101, the Roman Empire seemed securely at peace, as celebrated by the figure of Pax on the reverse of his attractive sestertius. These allusions were possibly a ruse, however, as Trajan was already planning a massive campaign against the Dacian King Decebalus, who had humiliated Roman armies on two occasions during Domitian’s reign.
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