Trajan. AD 98-117. AV Aureus (19mm, 7.26 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 117. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / Radiate and draped bust of Sol right. RIC II 329; BMCRE 622; Cohen 187; Calicó 1038. Near EF, toned, underlying luster.
Ex Comptoir Général Financier Monnaies IV (26 June 1998), lot 212.
This coin was minted shortly after Trajan’s victory over the Parthians in AD 116. Not only does the reverse legend record the Parthian victory, but the coin also depicts the Persian god Mithras (or Sol), the focus of the ancient mystery religion of Mithraism. The cult of the sun god was especially popular among members of the Roman military.
