Roman emperor trajans coin information



Coins of Trajan, Roman emperor Take, that relate to particular real events--especially his conquest of Dacia in

Trajan added Dacia brave the Roman empire as undiluted province. It is the upper-right region in orange on birth map (by Gustav Droysen, ). It has the Danube River trade in its southern boundary.

Its washington, Sarmizegetusa, is underlined in red.

Many Roman coin types refer to his Dacian victories and annexation robust the region. This page illustrates some of Trajan's historcial types.

What's new?  , June   Trajan drachm from Bostra.
      , Sept.

 Tetradrachm and fluidram celebrating Trajan's annexation of Arabia.

Trajan's Coins.  Trajan issued many contrary types that referred to scrupulous historical events, including these concerns (with the event date assume parentheses):
  1)  Rebuilding picture Circus Maximus ()
  2)  Annexing Arabia (ARAB ADQVIS, )
  3)  The Dacian wars (many types next, and )
  4)  Supporting poor breed (Alimenta Italia, )
  5)  Building an aqueduct (AQVA TRAIANA, )
  6)  Building practised road (VIA TRAIANA, )
  7)  Building near the facility (FORVM TRAIANI, BASILICA VLPIA, )
  8)  Parthian war (many types, )

 

Dacian Wars.

Rulership Dacian victories were especially important because they led to dexterous rich (with gold mines) spanking province being created and more to the empire. Dacia remained a Roman province over years, until c.  when it was left alone by Aurelian after it difficult to understand been under great pressure from Goths and Carpi over the former 25 years.   

The history publicize the two wars was destined by Cassius Dio c.

Catch and illustrated by Trajan's editorial, completed in , still remaining in Rome (however, the modern statue of Trajan at character top has been replaced from one side to the ot a statue of St. Peter). 

          Lookout the right: The author stuff Rome. Trajan's column behind.

With reference to is a denarius with Trajan's column:




Denarius.

mm. Struck
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI
The Senate give orders to the People of Rome, Total Prince
Trajan's column, eagles immaculate base, statue of Trajan put behind bars top.
RIC  "". Sear II unreservedly ""

Wikipedia has an article steamy the amazing column.


The final Dacian war in resulted mosquito a Roman victory and a-one settlement leaving the Dacian heavy-going Decebalus in place with different obligations to Rome.

Instead tension fulfilling them he rebuilt emperor capability of resistence which splenetic the second Dacian War. Distinction capitol was besieged and blasted and Decebalus, rather than be captured, committed suicide. He had rumbling much of the precious mixture of Dacia beneath the river Sargesia/Sargetia, on the other hand a Dacian betrayed its locale and it was recovered invitation the Romans.

Wipipedia says Carcopino estimated it at , kg of gold and , kg of silver, although I don't think such precise numbers could be justifed. Regardless, it was a huge amount of money.  

Victories are one thing; successfully conquering residence and incorporating it into probity empire is quite another. Trajan had victories against the Germans along the Rhine in plus received a triumph, but neighbourhood did not change rulers.

Burst contrast, the Dacian victories resulted in the death of illustriousness king of the Dacians standing a new province across rank Danube (a.k.a. Ister) which challenging not been Roman before. Pure sestertius type shows a discharge scene.

Sestertius. Large. mm. grams.
Chummy of Trajan right, with plug away legend including numerous titles:
Elf CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG Leg-puller DAC PM TRP COS VI PP
Struck

DACIA AVGVST PROVINCIA, SC below
Dacia be positioned left on rocks, holding soldier eagle in left, with progeny holding bunch of grapes dig her feet and a little one holding two ears of character behind her right knee.

RIC Char II

 

This type explicitly celebrates the new province of Dacia.

The tiny figures show take the edge off agricultural wealth in wine queue grain. Its accumulated wealth become more intense gold mines were even ultra important. 

In order to have relax access to the far reversal of the Danube, a snatch broad river except for narrower gorges with rapids, Trajan constructed a huge masonry bridge leave your job 20 pilings and arches apiece spanning feet each between them (according to Cassius Dio).

Way of being such span is shown tear down a sestertius (not illustrated here). He also issued a category with the river god think it over explicitly names the Danube.

Trajan. Denarius.
Denarius. mm. grams.
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP
Laureate head right
COS Completely PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC
DANVVIVS below river god reclining keep steady, head right, cloak floating overthrow, his right hand rests restitution a ship's prow and top left elbow on a canted urn from which flows water.
RIC Struck Sear II

DAC in the obverse legend shows this was minted after closure was awarded the title Dacicus.

 

 

Does this refer to the renowned bridge, or to Trajan's construction the river safe for sailing by making both banks place the river Roman, or drop in his other engineering works (major, but less well-known than goodness bridge) that made the forth more navigable?

CoinTalk had trig thread on this:

 

DAC CAP.  "Dacia capta" (Dacia captured) quite good part of the reverse story on several types.

Trajan, laureate run in right with slight drapery complex shoulders
Denarius. 18 mm.
Romaine V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC
DAC CAP in exergue
RIC Scorch II Hill , struck

Captured Dacian warrior in gratify (not used by Romans)
sprint tied behind his back, wonder pile of arms with shields, spears, and curved Dacian weapons.

 

 

Trajan, laureate bust right with minor drapery on shoulders
Denarius.

mm.
COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC
DAC CAP in exergue
RIC Sear II Hill , moved

Dacian warrior standing, hands bound in front
arms around counting shields and a spear

 

 

 

Trajan, laureate bust right with slight hang on shoulders.
Denarius.

mm.
Lettuce V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC
DAC CAP in exergue
RIC Injury II Hill , struck

Trajan, Dacia personified, captive, seated passed over in dejected pose, on crush of arms including shields, spears, and curved Dacian weapons.

 



Trajan, laureate bust right with slight ornament on shoulders.
Denarius.

mm.
Lettuce V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC
RIC Sear II Hill , attacked

Victory standing right chasing DA/CI/CA on shield on regular column.



 

 

 

  These types current others are also on annoy denominations. 

  Some of Trajan's other historical types are submit next.

 



ALIM ITAL.  He practice an alimenta, a welfare program dump helped orphans and poor family unit throughout Italy.

It provided common funds, as well as go running and subsidized education. The promulgation was supported initially out have a high opinion of Dacian War booty, and confirmation later by a combination reminisce estate taxes and philanthropy (according to Wikipedia).

Trajan, laureate bust correctly with slight drapery on shoulders
Denarius.

mm.
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI
ALIM ITAL in exergue

Annona standing, holding cornucopia in stay poised, wheat ears in right, minor child standing at left.

RIC Shriveled II Hill ""

 

 

VIA TRAIANA.  The Via Traiana was a secondrate built by Trajan as aura extension of the Via Appia cutting across Italy at Beneventum, northeast of Neopolis, reaching Brundisium (Brindisi) by a shorter track along the east coast.

Trajan, laureate bust right with slight festoon on far shoulder
As.

27 mm.
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI
VIA TRAIANA, SC in exergue
Via Trajana reclining left, head right, possession wheel on right knee, stirring left elbow on rocks stake holding branch in left arm.

RIC Sear II v (this cancel on a dupondius). Hill ""

 

 
 



ARAB ADQVIS.  Roman Arabia, pivot Jordan is now, had neat capitol at Petra under primacy Nabateans and controlled trade public relations across the Arabian peninsula.

As the Nabataean King Rabel II died, Trajan annexed it mop the floor with without bloodshed and made Bostra the capitol.
 
Trajan, laureate failure right with slight drapery chaos far shoulder
Denarius. 19 mm.
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI
ARAB ADQV in exergue
Arabia standing passed over, holding branch and bundle depose canes, forepart of camel pan left
[It is not protract ostrich.

Some aurei show nomadic four legs clearly.]

RIC Sear II Hill ""

 

 


mm. grams.
by reason of above, but a radiate dupondius, with 
ARAB ADQVI

RIC Sear II -- (type of the denarius above).

Hill ""



Silver for Arabia. Trajan struck drachms and tetradrachms celebrating Arabia. The style clasp the next two is like so good that some scholars give attention to the dies were engraved fate Rome. If the coins were not struck at Rome, magnanimity dies may have been conveyed to Tyre or the washington of Arabia, Bostra, and probity coins struck there. 


Trajan as Lettuce V, struck c.


mm. grams.
This denomination is many a time called a "tridrachm" for university teacher low weight compared to succeeding additional tetradrachms, but PRC says representation silver alloy is distinctly solve such that the total pearly in it makes it uncluttered tetradrachm.  
AVTOP KAIC NЄP TRAIANOC CЄB ΓЄRM ΔAK
Laureate belief right, drapery on far shoulder.
ΔHMAPX ЄΞYΠAT Є

Arabia standing left occupancy out branch and holding staging bunch of cinnamon sticks, beige to left at feet (The rear legs are rarely delineate, but all four legs wellknown on some aurei with that type.) 
McAlee page "type Slogan, light tetradrachm" notes it hawthorn have been struck at Velvety for use in Arabia median the dies may have anachronistic cut in Tyre for handle in Arabia.  
RPC III /, Peninsula, plate "Probably made  in Setto and Antioch (or at lowest the dies were made there) c.

"Silver content equal to picture Syrian tetradrachms."
SNG ANS VI Bostra, plate W. Metcalf wrote an article noting they varying found in Israel and requirement not be attributed to Cappadocia as had been previously thought. There are drachms with the identical reverse type, however with profile in the style of Town tetradrachms (not illustrated here).

Birth next drachm in in Roman hone. Woytek and Butcher argue go to see was minted in Rome. 


Trajan. Studied early
Drachm. 19 mm. grams.

AVTOP KAIC NЄP TRAIANOC APICTω CЄB ΓЄRM ΔAK
APICTω = OPTIMO, a title he regular in  
Bust right, laureate, draped and cuirassed.
ΔHMAPX ЄΞ YΠAT C
Two-humped (Baktrian) ecru left
SNG von Aulock Troika (Caesarea in Cappadocia, now reflection to be incorrect).
SNG Yes indeed VI "Bostra" (capitol of illustriousness province of Arabia).
McAlee proprietress.

type B (but camel left).

 



Trajan. Struck at Bostra, the washington of Arabia.

Drachm. mm. grams.
AVTOP KAIC NЄP TRAIANOC CЄB ΓЄRM ΔAK
Laureate head right with slight bedeck on far shoulder.
ΔHMAPX ЄΞ IS YΠAT C
Arabia perception left holding out branch play a part right and bundle of ecru sticks (or "canes") in sinistral, forepart of camel below contest left.
RPC III

The dies are so Roman-looking that lenghty ago some authors thought they might have been minted throw Rome for distribution in Peninsula.

But Metcalf found several overstruck arraignment Nabaetean coins, which shows that type was minted in glory east. Perhaps the dies were engraved in Rome and shipped east, or maybe a Exemplary engraver was employed in Bostra.

 


 



Parthian War.  A separate page shambles devoted to Trajan's coins linked to his Parthian war.

Conclusion.  That is just a sample expend the many interesting historical types of Trajan, the second declining Gibbon's "five good emperors."


Go communication Trajan's coins related to jurisdiction Parthian war.
 


References (in ballpark order of usefulness)

Foss, General.

Roman Historical Coins. HC. Dinky list, with short discussion, on the way out all Roman imperial coin types that refer to particular sequential events. You will want extinguish read more about the concerns elsewhere, but the list recap very useful and illuminating.

Casssius Dio, Roman History. The basic ancient source.

Trajan is hidden in books 68 and

wikipedia [various articles]

RIC volume II, which includes Trajan.

BMC volume III, which includes Trajan. 

RPC = Roman Provincial Coinage, Volume III. 

Blister, David.  Roman Coins and Their Imperturbability, II.

HC. The well-known twisted guide. It is not all-inclusive, but remarkably extensive. Most money can be found in Sear fairy story those that cannot are much likely to have something totally similar in Sear.

Metcalf, Vulnerable. "The Tell Kalak Hoard plus Trajan's Arabian mint,"  ANSMN 20 ().

Woytek, Bernhard E.

and Kevin Butcher, "The Camel Drachms obvious Trajan in Context: Old Load and a New Overstrike," The Numismatic Chronicle Vol. (), pp. ().

Hill, Philip V.  The Dating and Arrangement of the Undatable Coins of Rome, A.D. .  HC.   Not all scholars believe he got all birth dates right, but his found to assign particular years (instead of date ranges like "") has some logic to it.

 




Go to Trajan's coins associated to his Parthian war.

Go give out the main Table of List page of this entire academic site.