I recently started studying Trajan's coins. I find his coins very interesting. many historical events are depicted on his coins. This is probably because he found coin propaganda very important. I also think that his coins belong to the most beautiful of the Roman coinage. I find the sestertii especially impressive. I've been looking to a Trajan Sestertius for a while. yesterday I found this one. No historical event is depicted on this coin. but I like the portrait. moreover, the coin was cheap. especially the latter convinced me to buy this coin. I plan to buy more Trajan coins. His coins, together with Septimius Severus, become my main goal. Which does not mean that I no longer buy other coins. I actually find the entire period from Augustus to Constantius II interesting. IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, Laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder. S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, S-C across fields, Fortuna standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae. AE Sestertius Struck 103-111 26,82g/ 33mm Ric 500 If you also have Trajan Sestertii, please show them.
Below is my first Trajan. Perhaps we should investigate why people to like Septimius Severus get these??? I also like Trajan's dupondii and asses. Trajan has a lot of coin types, was important to history and is avoided by collectors too good to have 'common' stuff - my kind of guy! dupondius asses
Nice examples. Trajan AE's are well-made - artistically fine, nice preparation of dies and planchets, and perhaps the best lettering in all of the Imperial Roman series. My problem with Trajan is that the cheap ones are pretty awful looking, so the ones I have are pretty poor condition. This is my favorite - one of my "beauties despite the ravages of time" specimens (or something like that): Trajan Æ Sestertius (c. 114-117 A.D.) Rome Mint [IMP CA]ES NER TRAI[ANO OPTIMO] AVG GER DAC PAR[THICO PM TRP COS VI P P], laureate draped bust right / [PROVIDENTIA AVGVSTI SPQRSC] Providentia stdg. left. RIC 663; Cohen 320. (22.37 grams / 31 mm) I just got a new Trajan denarius in a batch yesterday, so I am tossing it in here - you could describe it as an AE because it is a fourrée - I haven't attributed this doggy yet:
Looks like this coin circulated for some time before the plating was discovered. I have always wondered if such coins continued to circulate after it became obvious that they were plated. Perhaps they did at a discount? Has anyone ever studied this aspect of the plated coin, that is did they circulate as knowingly plated coins?
Traianus and his coins are fascinating indeed. Be careful, there’s slipppery slope. You may discover that you like Hadrian’s travel series, too. Please post if you have sestertii of Se.Se. Here’s one of my Traianii, photo courtesy of cng:
Trajan Sestertii, some in better shape than others...: Rome, 108 - 111 AD 32 mm, 24.42 g Ref.: Cohen 485; RIC II Trajan 515; Ob.: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P laureate bust r., drapery on left shoulder Rev.: S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Salus seated left, feeding from patera a snake coiled around an altar; in ex. S C Sestertius, Rome, 107 AD 32 mm, 24.04 g Ref.: RIC II 479; Sear 3228 var; Cohen 369; Sear (1988) 1004 Ob.: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P Laureate head right Rev.: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C Ceres draped, standing left, holding corn-ears in right and long torch in left hand, modius at feet Sestertius, Rome, 104/5 - 107 AD 34 x 35 mm, 27.44 g Ref.: RIC II Trajan 503 (Sestertius); Woytek 200bD-1; Banti 134; Cohen 407 Ob.: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P Laureate bust of Trajan right, slight drapery on far shoulder Sestertius, Rome, 101 - 102 AD 32 x 33 mm, 21.38 g Reference: RIC II 432; BMC.745; Ob.: IMP CAES NERVA TRA / IAN AVG GERM P M: Head of Trajan, laureate, right Rev.: TR POT COS IIII P P in exergue S C, Pax seated left on throne, holding branch in extended right hand and scepter in left.
I think there is a lot of similarity between the two emperors. They were the two great conquerors of the Roman Empire. They were both somewhere first in. Trajan was the first emperor from outside of Italy and Septimius Severus was the first emperor from Africa. They were both not assured of power, which made their coin propaganda very important. And both died during a military campaign because they had not had enough of conquering in their old age. They both had about the same length of reign. Because of their long reign, their coins are not really rare either. They are even about the same price. I therefore think that if you find Severus interesting, chances are that you will also end up with Trajan.
I like the sestertii of Trajan. They are large impressive coins and some have really interesting portraits or reverses. Sestertius RIC 401 Woytek 58a 98 A.D. Finally got the photograph of this coin done.
