I have long wanted to include a Trajan sestertius on my Inscriptional Lettering web page but I was seeking the issue that had the reverse depiction of Trajan galloping on horseback and spearing a fallen Dacian soldier, for I have always admired that depiction. Well I recently purchased a reasonably decent example and below is a photo of it installed on an extract of my web page …………… Roman Imperial coin inscriptional letterforms are based on those of CAPITALIS MONUMENTALIS employed by stone cutters for edifices, monuments, tombstones, etc. A fine extant example is found on Trajan's column in Rome and the essential constructs of these letterforms are the models for all Majuscule (Capital) alphabets used in the western world. Stone cutters in particular still employ their distinctive proportions and terminating serifs. It should be noted that only twenty letters were normally used in the ancient Roman alphabet: A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T V X. Our modern J and U were not used, their equivalents being I and Vrespectively. Thus, our modern JULIUS was written IVLIVS. The letter K was seldom used and then only before A. The letters Y and Z were only used when reproducing Greek words. W was not part of the ancient Roman alphabet at all. It was Medieval scribes who formalized the construction models for the letters J K U W Y Z. There are numerous excellent photographs of actual CAPITALIS MONUMENTALIS lettering (including that on Trajan's column) mostly accompanied by location information, translations and analyses, at Bill Thayer's Latin Inscriptions section of his LacusCurtius web site RIC Vol. II, TRAJAN, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 534, 98-117AD, (35mm, 22.6gm) Obverse depiction: Trajan, head facing right, wearing aegis Inscription: IMP CAES NERVAE TRIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V PP Reverse depiction: Trajan galloping on horseback spearing a fallen Dacian soldier Inscription: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI - in exergue S C Although in general the inscriptional letterforms employed by Roman Imperial coin die engravers, particularly those of the early Empire, closely follow CAPITALIS MONUMENTALIS letterforms there are some subtle differences, mostly resulting from the limited space available on coins for inscriptional lettering. Most notably, they were modified to produce closer spacing and a compaction of the wide letters C O Q and M resulting in more uniform and "square" lettering. The essential letterform constructs were closely followed for coins of the early to mid Empire who's inscriptions are generally stately and elegant: E and F have equal length horizontal bars; A has a sharp apex; V has a sharp junction; the bowls of B P R S are always nicely formed. P is frequently rendered on Imperial coins with an open bowl, i.e. not touching the vertical stem at the bottom - especially on coins of the early Empire …………………………
I've always really liked the legends on Trajan's coins. I wish the attention to such nice even lettering had remained in the making of dies (as well as the realistic portraiture). By the time of Constantine, I don't like the portraiture at all. I'll get my coat.
Don't worry, you're not alone They're growing on me though and there are some LRBs on my want list . ... Sorry for the detour, James . I have no Imperial bronzes of Trajan but will atone by adding this iconic denarius with somewhat less tidy inscriptional engraving: Trajan Rome mint, CE 114-115 AR denarius, 18 mm, 3.7 gm Obv: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC. Laureate and draped bust right Rev: P M TR P COS VI P P S P Q R. Trajan’s column surmounted by statue of Trajan, holding patera and scepter; two eagles at base Ref: RIC II 35 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/last-coin-of-2014-trajans-column-denarius.257275/
Letters need to be smaller when placed on an as. Earlier sestertii don't have the fine style of either legends or portrait.
