Watch List notes:

The Roman Empire

Trajan 98 – 117. Sestertius 112 -114, Æ 25.53 g. IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P Laureate and draped bust r. Rev. PORTVM TRAIANI View of the Portum Traiani: the basin of the harbour surrounded by warehouses; ships at anchor in the centre. Below, S C. C 306 var. (NERVAE). BMC p. 205 *. RIC 632 var. (NERVAE). CBN 773 var. (NERVAE). Woytek 470v var.
Extremely rare and in exceptionally good condition for this fascinating and difficult
issue. Brown-green patina somewhat tooled on reverse, otherwise good very fine

Ex NAC sale 51, 2009, 264.
It is difficult to imagine the quantities of goods that were imported to Rome, a city of more than a million people at its peak. Much of it came overland along the empire's highways, but more still arrived by ship to port-cities, principally Ostia, Rome's main harbour at the mouth of the Tiber.
The original harbour was improved significantly in a construction project begun by Claudius and completed by his successor, Nero. New docks were excavated to the north along the Tiber, which were linked to the harbour by two canals. However, they silted up easily, so the problem of the old harbour's limitations remained. Thus, Trajan created a second port, further inland, which could be accessed directly from the old Claudian port.
Though not much remains of the Claudian port, the docks from Trajan's hexagonal port are still well preserved on the Torlonia estate. Also discernible is the large canal that linked Trajan's port with the Tiber, allowing goods to be unloaded from seafaring ships onto smaller vessels, including barges, which would bring them up the Tiber to Rome. A wide road seems to have traced the route of the canal, and it is clear that Trajan wanted not only to construct a practical harbour for consistent grain deliveries, but also to impress merchants from throughout the world with a grand entry to the capital of the empire.