115-116 AD., Trajan, Rome mint struck for circulation in the East, Semis, RIC 660.

Trajan, Rome mint struck for circulation in the East of the Roman Empire, 115-116 AD.,
Semis (ø 20-21,5 mm / 3,96 g), copper, axes coin alignment ↑↓ (ca. 180°), encrusted, long flan crack from the nose to six o´clock on the obverse,
Obv.: IMP CAES NER TRAIAN OPTIM AVG GER DAC PARTHICO , ( RIC legend H3), his radiate, draped bust facing right.
Rev.: P M TR POT XX COS VI PP / S C , around and in wreath.
RIC II, p. 291, no. 660 (semis, common?) ; Coh. 287 ; for similar issues cf. BMC 1103 pl. 45, 8 ; - MIR 938 v ; Coh. 123 ; W. E. Metcalf, - A Note on Trajan's Latin Aes from Antioch, MN 22 (1977), S. 67, 1 und Taf. 8, 1 var. ; - S. K.Butcher, Roman Coinage in Syria (2004) 410 .
(uncleaned)

This unusual issue struck at the end of 115 is typically attributed to an eastern mint, usually Antioch. So far known issues consisted of the as and semis, both with radiate busts, and both struck on orichalcum flans. Metallurgical tests have shown that the orichalcum used is indistinguishable from the orichalcum used for Roman sestertii and dupondii and quite different from the orichalcum used for some provincial issues. This fact, along with the style of the portraiture and legend, and the die axis of 6:00 versus the normal 12:00 die axis for the Antioch mint, suggests that this issue was minted at Rome and shipped to Syria. See the two articles by Metcalf in ANSMN 20 (1975) and 22 (1977), and Carradice and Cowell's article in Num. Chron. (1987).