Roman coin with the longest legend

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, Jan 12, 2019.

  1. Ocatarinetabellatchitchix

    Ocatarinetabellatchitchix Well-Known Member

    I believe this Trajan RIC 642 has the world record of all time :

    IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PARTHICO PM TRP COS VI PP
    ARMENIA ET MESOPOTAMIA IN POTESTATEM P R REDACTAE SC

    52+44 = 96 letters
    Can anyone beat that? 7F9E337F-32BE-4240-A9AF-D70F7E49A66C.jpeg
     
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  3. AncientJoe

    AncientJoe Well-Known Member

    Wow! Ancient numismatic Twitter was almost as functional as the modern 140 character version.
     
  4. LaCointessa

    LaCointessa Well-Known Member

    I love Trajan! Isn't he legendary for having the longest and most peaceful rule of all the Roman Emperors? If that is the case, then he deserves to have the longest and considering its length, most orderly legend on a coin. Thanks @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix
     
    Roman Collector, TIF and Ryro like this.
  5. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    What amazes me is finding a coin with all those letters on the flan and legible. That is a nce coin.
     
  6. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

  7. Bob L.

    Bob L. Well-Known Member

    Nope. I'm impressed. You've even got my Nero beat.

    6.jpg
     
  8. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    That legend is so neat @Bob L.
     
    Ancientnoob and TIF like this.
  9. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    Last edited: Jan 13, 2019
  10. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Not even close, but this may be the longest in my collection. Sixty-two characters, if you count the denomination, E, in the field:

    [​IMG]
    Gordian III, AD 238-244, and Tranquillina, AD 241-244.
    Roman provincial Æ pentassarion, 12.34 g, 26.2 mm, 2 h.
    Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, legate Tertullius, AD 243-244.
    Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑVΓ CЄΒ ΤΡΑΝΚVΛ-ΛЄΙΝΑ, confronted busts.
    Rev: VΠ ΤΕΡΤVΛΛΙΑΝΟV ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛI-ΤΩΝ, Nemesis-Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae; wheel at feet; E in field, left.
    Refs: Varbanov 2052; Moushmov 834; AMNG (Pick) 1185; SNG Cop 260.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2019
    panzerman, kaparthy, Paul M. and 12 others like this.
  11. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    A great coin @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix - congratulations!
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2019
  12. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Here's a Trajan with a long inscription, requiring both obverse and reverse to contain it. More importantly, enough of the titulature is complete (Traiano, optimo and Parthico) to determine that nearly the entire thing is in the dative case, with the probable exception of tribunicio potestate being in the ablative ("with tribunician power") and patriae being in the genitive ("of the country").

    [​IMG]
    IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GERM / DAC PARTHICO P M TR POT XX COS VI P P.

    I reconstruct the legend as IMP[ERATORI] CAES[ARO] NER[VAE] TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG[VSTO] GERM[ANICO] DAC[ICO] PARTHICO P[ONTIFICI] M[AXIMO] TR[IBVNICIO] (abl.) POT[ESTATE] (abl.) XX CO[N]S[VLI] VI P[ATRI] P[ATRIAE] (gen.), meaning "To the Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan, the best, revered defeater of the Germans, defeater of the Dacians, defeater of the Parthians, highest priest, with tribunician power for the twentieth time, consul for the sixth time, father of the country."
     
  13. LaCointessa

    LaCointessa Well-Known Member

  14. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Excellent example! I looked up RIC for the “YADA YADA” legend variant and came up empty handed. You should definitely submit this one for the books. :D
     
  15. LaCointessa

    LaCointessa Well-Known Member

    I didn't even notice the YADA YADA at the end of the legend. That's crazy!! Makes me think of one of my most favorite Seinfeld episodes!! :joyful:

     
    Johndakerftw and zumbly like this.
  16. Ancient Aussie

    Ancient Aussie Well-Known Member

    Gee wiz there's even a bit more space on the reverse for more legend.......I guess that's for Trajan's future conquests. :jawdrop:
     
  17. Bob L.

    Bob L. Well-Known Member

    I just spotted the OP's coin as it appears in the abridged version of RIC:

    traj abr2.jpg
     
  18. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    I wonder how many people are madly combing archives, Vcoins, and Numsibids to get their very own example? :D
     
  19. LaCointessa

    LaCointessa Well-Known Member

    I was looking at the cool coins in this wonderful thread again and went to look at my Trajan. I had not realized that my coin contained legends totaling 50 characters!!

    [​IMG]
     
  20. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

  21. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Trajan ruled for a little under 20 years. Theodosius II ruled for 42 years.
    Octavian Augustus ruled as Augustus for 41 years, but if you include his 4 years as Imperator, his sole reign totaled 45 years (plus 10 years as triumvir!).
     
    Gary R. Wilson and Justin Lee like this.
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