114 TRAJAN Roman Empire Denarius Superb Portrait Mars NGC Ch AU (18091305C)

Roman Empire denarius, 3.36g, RIC 338, RSC 270b, minted 114 to 117 CE.  NGC certified authentic Ch AU, Strike 4/5, Surface 3/5.  Superb obverse style. Obverse: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC, laureate, draped/cuirassed bust right.  Reverse: P M TR P COS VI P P S P Q R, Mars walking right with spear and trophy. Mars was the god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter and he was the most prominent of the military gods in the religion of the Roman army.