Trajan's historical types

Trajan Denarius. Struck 107 AD. RIC 100
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P, laureate head right /
DANVVIVS, the Danube reclining on rocks, right hand on prow of ship, reeds over arm.


Trajan AE Sestertius. Struck 103-111 AD. RIC 556
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V PP, laureate head right /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, the Danube standing left, placing knee on Dacia, whom he forces to the ground.


Trajan AE Sestertius. RIC 569
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, laureate bust right /
Single-span bridge over river Danube, tower at each end & boat beneath, SC in ex. RIC 569

The Trajan Bridge was only functional for 165 years, it is often considered to be the longest arch bridge in both total and span length for more than 1,000 years. The remains of the bridge reappeared in 1858 when the level of the Danube hit a record low due to the extensive drought. The twenty pillars were still visible.

 

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The detail of that aegis is astounding.

 

My most historically-themed Trajan is this one:


Trajan, AD 98-117.
Roman AR Denarius, 3.39 g, 18.4 mm, 7 h.
Rome, AD 112-117 (likely AD 113).
Obv: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P, laureate bust, right, with slight drapery on left shoulder.
Rev: S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, woman (Via Traiana) reclining left on rocks, holding wheel in right hand and branch in left hand; in exergue, VIA TRAIANA.
Refs: RIC 266; BMCRE 487-91; RSC/Cohen 468; Strack 179a; RCV 3173; UCR 582; Woytek (MIR) 3983b.

 

Trajan Ar Denarius 112-113 A.D. Rv Via Traiana reclining left hold wheel. RIC 266 Woytek 398b 3.09 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen

 

Trajan AE as. RIC 588
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V Laureate head right, drapery on far shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI SC, three standards. RIC 588, Cohen 579.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 294
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI P P, laureate draped bust right /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, legionary eagle between two standards, one surmounted by a wreath, the other by a hand.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 291
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI PP, laureate head right, drapery on left shoulder/
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Trajan on horseback left carrying spear


Trajan AE Dupondius. ca 104-107 AD. RIC 582
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, radiate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, facing cuirass, consisting of lorica decorated with gorgoneion and figures, lappettes and pteryges.


this type has the longest obverse legend on a roman coin :
Trajan AE Dupondius. 116 AD, Rome. RIC 676
IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PARTHICO P M TR P COS VI P P, laureate, draped bust right / SENATVS POPVLVS QVE ROMANVS, SC in ex. Trajan in military dress, advancing right, looking back, bezween two trophies.


Trajan's column : The emperor in front of the roman army passing Danube to Dacia (the first war)

 

Trajan Denarius. RIC 219
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate head right /
S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Dacian in peaked cap on a shield, mourning, with a curved sword below him.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 219
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate head right /
S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Dacian in peaked cap on a shield, mourning, with a curved sword below him.


Trajan denarius. RIC 98
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP, laureate head right, drapery on far shoulder /
COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC, Dacia mourning, seated on pile of captured arms, DAC CAP below.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 96
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP, laureate bust right /
COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC, Dacian seated with hands bound behind back on pile of shields, spears and swords, DAC CAP below.


Trajan Denarius. Struck 103-111 AD. RIC 99
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP, laureate bust right, drapery at shoulder /
COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC, Dacia standing with bound hands before pile of arms, DAC CAP in exergue.


Trajan AE Sestertius. 104-107 AD. RIC 564
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, SC in ex, Dacia, in attitude of mourning, seated left on pile of arms; trophy before.


Trajan's column : battle scene from the first war , Romans against Dacians

 

Trajan Denarius. Struck 103-111 AD. RIC 99
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP, laureate bust right, drapery at shoulder /
COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC, Dacia standing with bound hands before pile of arms, DAC CAP in exergue.


Trajan Æ Dupondius. RIC 586
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, radiate bust right /
S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C; trophy, two shields at base.


Trajan Denarius. Struck 107 AD. RIC 147b
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P, laureate head right, slight drapery on far shoulder /
COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC, trophy on stump; shields and spears at base.


Trajan AE As. 103-111 AD. RIC 584
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate head right /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, ornate oval shield behind which are two shields, two spears and a vexillum, SC below.


Trajan AE As. 103-111 AD. RIC 584
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate head right /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, ornate oval shield behind which are two shields, two spears and a vexillum, SC below.

 

Trajan AE Sestertius. 106 AD. RIC 528
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate bust right with aegis /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, Victory standing right, holding stylus and fastening shield inscribed VIC DAC onto a palm tree.


Trajan AE Sestertius. 106 AD. RIC 528
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate bust right with aegis /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, Victory standing right, holding stylus and fastening shield inscribed VIC DAC onto a palm tree.


Trajan, AR denarius, Rome. AD 111. RIC 130
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP, laureate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder /
COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC, Victory, naked to hips, standing right, foot on rock, inscribing DA-CI-CA on a shield set on a palm stump.


Trajan , Æ Dupondius. RIC - unpublished
IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, radiate head right, with slight drapery on left shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Victory standing left, leaning on short column, holding laurel wreath and palm;S-C across fields.


Trajan AE As. 103-111 AD. RIC 483.
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate head right, drapery on far shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, Roma standing left, holding Victory and spear.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 115 var (bust type)
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP, laureate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder /
COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC, Roma standing left, holding Victory and spear.


Trajan Denarius. 108 AD. RIC 114
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP, laureate head right /
COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC, Mars walking left carrying Victory and trophy.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 340
IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GERM DAC PARTHICO, laureate draped bust right /
PM TRP COS VI PP SPQR, Mars walking right, holding transverse spear and trophy.


Trajan's column : Victory inscribes Trajan's accomplishments on a shield , flanked on either side by trophies made from the arms

 

Here's my Trajan depicting the forum:



Purchased unpedigreed but I managed to track down a nice sales history: Ex. Spink, 8 August 1964, £275 - "very rare"; Ex. Munzen & Medallien AG Auction 28 lot 327 (June 19, 1964); Ex. Sir Arthur John Evans, Ars Classica XVII, Oct 13, 1934, lot 1365

And a less common octastyle temple in perspective:


Ex Hess, 6 January 1926, Löbbecke, 1151 and Lanz 109, 2002, 398 sales

 

Wow ! , superb coins and photos.

 

Any discussion of Trajan's "historical" coins should, IMHO, include his "Restoration" issues. A unique one follows:

Trajan; 98-117 AD. AR denarius (2.8 gm). Restoration of Q. Fabius Maximus. Obv: ROMA (Q) FAB MAXIMUS (......?). Laur. hd. of Apollo, r., "star" under chin, lyre before. Rev: IMP CAES TRAIAN AVG GE(R) (D)AC PP REST. Cornucopia upon thunderbolt, all within wreath. Restoring RSC Fabia 6. All coins of this series are exceedingly rare, and rarely listed for auction. This coin was apparently UNIQUE, as of 17 August 2004.....then Verified by the British Museum.

 

Great site, Valentinian. Thanks for sharing.

I have some Trajan "historic" types. Here are two of them:

This dupondius is somewhat unusual for a Dacian type as the Dacian is shown just head and shoulders, being stomped on by Pax. Romans had an interesting conception of Pax, didn't they?


Trajan Æ Dupondius
(103-111 A.D.) Rome Mint
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER [DAC PM TRP COS V PP], radiate bust r., with aegis / SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI SC Pax standing left holding branch & cornucopiae; foot on Dacian's head and shoulders.
RIC 505 var. (no aegis).
(11.15 grams / 27 mm)

Here's a sestertius of the Aqua Traiana aqueduct type. It is so worn I was unsure of its exact attribution:


Trajan Æ Sestertius
(103-111 A.D.) Rome Mint
[IMP CAES NERVAE T]RAIANO A[VG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P], laureate head right, slight drapery on left / [SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, S-C, AQVA [TRAIANA] in ex. Aqua Traiana reclining left.
RIC 463; BMCRE 873.
(23.47 grams / 29 mm)

Attribution Note:

There are three RIC varieties of this coin. The most common seems to be RIC 463, so I went with that. See: RIC 607 and 608.

 

Yes , for sure . During and after the Dacian wars they represented the peace in three different ways : the interesting one with her '' foot on a captive Dacian'' , a more classic one ''Pax setting fire to pile of arms '' or ''Dacian kneeling before her''

Trajan AE Sestertius. RIC 503
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate head right, (sometimes draped far shoulder) /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, S-C across fields, Pax standing left, holding branch and cornucopiae, foot on Dacian captive.


Trajan AE Dupondius. RIC 505?
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GERM PM TRP COS V P P, laureate head right, aegis on left shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, S-C across fields, Pax standing left with olive branch and cornucopia, her foot on the shoulder of a captive Dacian.


Trajan Denarius. 103-111 AD. RIC 190
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate head right, aegis on far shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Pax standing left, holding branch and cornucopiae, foot on Dacian captive.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 102
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP, laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder /
COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC, PAX below, Pax standing left with cornucopiae, setting fire to pile of arms on left with short torch.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 187
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate bust right, aegis on far shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Pax seated left holding olive branch, Dacian kneeling in supplication before.


Trajan's column : Dacians kneeling in supplication before the emperor.

 

You have a great collection of Trajan, so many nice coins.

 

Thank you !, is my preferred emperor.

 

I love the coins of Trajan. In a lot of ways his reign marks the apex of the Roman era and it is fortunate that so many of his coins are specific to historical events. Here is my favorite such coin from my collection.

Trajan: the Best Emperor and the Mystery of the River God

Roman Empire
Trajan (AD 98-117)
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 107-108
Dia.: 19.1 mm
Wt.: 2.94 g
Obv.: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TR P; Trajan laureate bust right, left shoulder draped
Rev.: COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC; Danube, velificatio, reclining on rocks, right hand holding prow of a ship. Left arm resting on overflowing container of water. DANVVIVS in exergue.
Ref.: RIC II 100, Scarce

 

I recently bought this Trajan temple coin which was very generously offered to me from fellow CT member ValiantKnight.
Trajan (98-117). Æ As (26.5mm, 9.3g, 6h). Rome, 107-8. Laureate bust r., Slight drapery. R / Octastyle temple: on pediment, Jupiter seated between two reclining figures; on roof, five statues; between central columns, Pax standing facing. RIC II 575. Green-brown patina

 

The first coin is extremely rare , is similar to RIC 456(struck in 103) but with a different reverse legend. It has been struck at the end of the first Dacian war in the last months of the year 102 , when Trajan started to use the title ''DACICVS'' (conqueror of Dacia) , COS IIII DES V ''indicating the Emperor had been designated to serve his fifth consulship starting on the first day of the new year but that the coin was struck before that date''(text from https://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/abb.html).

Trajan As , RIC - unpublished
IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG GERM DACICVS P M Head of Trajan, laureate, right/
TR P VII IM(P) IIII COS IIII DES V P P . Victory, draped, alighting with right foot on globe left, holding up wreath in right hand and trophy in left.


Trajan AE Dupondius. RIC 538
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V PP, radiate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, Trajan riding right spearing Dacian enemy.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 212
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, laureate head right /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Trajan standing facing, crowned by Victory standing left beside him.


Trajan AE As. RIC 476
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, laureate head right /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C in oak wreath.

 

Trajan AE Sestertius. Struck 112-114 AD. RIC 600
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI P P, Laureate bust right, drapery on left shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, Trajan's column surmounted by statue of the emperor.


Trajan AE Dupondius. 114 AD. RIC 603 var (bust type)
IMP CAESAR NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI P P, radiate, draped bust right /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, Trajan's column, eagles at base.


Trajan denarius. RIC 307
IMP TRAIANO OPTIMIO AVG GER DAC P M TR P Laureate and draped bust right. /
COS VI S P Q R Trajan's column: statue of Trajan on column on rounded base, two eagles at base.


Trajan Denarius. RIC 293
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI P P, laureate bust right, draped far shoulder /
SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Trajan's column with two eagles at base.

 

Trajan AE Dupondius. RIC 623a
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI P P, radiate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder /
DACIA AVGVST, PROVINCIA/S C in exergue, Dacia seated left on rock, holding aquila; small children around holding grain and grapes respectively.


Trajan AE Dupondius. RIC 623a
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI P P, radiate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder /
DACIA AVGVST, PROVINCIA/S C in exergue, Dacia seated left on rock, holding aquila; small children around holding grain and grapes respectively.


Relief from the Hadrianeum (the Temple of Hadrian ) , depict the personification of the new province of Dacia.