on the reverse of the trajan denarius in my collection is victory. (see pic below) the coin was minted between 101 and 102 a.d. i assumed it was to commemorate a victorious war led by trajan. when i looked up what war it could have been, i noticed the first dacian war was fought beginning in 101 a.d. so my question is this: was this an offering to victory to help trajan in the war? or were the romans confident that they would win so they celebrated early with this reverse? any and all help is welcome to help me understand this coin better.
i thought they used victory a lot just like US uses/used Lady Liberty - but that is just what I think and certainly could be wrong
A figure could be in honor of a past success or in hope of a future one. It makes no difference. Some Victories were issued to commemorate losses that the spin doctors wanted to look like victories. It works that way with many reverses. You might see Salus or Aesculapius issued when someone was ill or when he recovered.
This one is rough but I'd though I'd share it. This coin commemorates Octavian's victory at Actium against Antony and his triumph. edit: obverse IMP CAESAR, Octavian, holding olive branch, driving triumphal quadriga right; reverse Victory standing right on prow, wreath in right, palm over shoulder in left
Like Doug said, its all over the board. Sometimes Victory is to celebrate a victory, (real or imagined), sometimes to hope or declare there will be victory, and sometimes Victory is just victory, (a coin type). Seeing how the Dacian war started in 101 I would guess at first it was hoped for, or promised, victory. The coins to specifically celebrate the Dacian victory were minted later, specifically mentioning Dacia. Maybe this doesn't help you specifically Swish, but more of a general agreement with Doug on the nature of such reverses. Chris P.S. Btw I love victory coins. They are great to have around non-collectors, as everyone recognizes it as an angel. Its just one small bit of ancient culture that the christians coopted for their own use. Being just before Christmas right now, we are literally surrounded with ideas the christians have stolen to craft their holiday, (angels, date, christmas trees, etc). That is another topic though.
The best Victory coins IMHO are the ones that name a specific enemy in the legends. Spread over the centuries there are a half dozen different foes named.
