Trajan CLEARLY had SPQR spelled out on this coin: Trajan, AD 98-117. Æ As, 26mm, 11.0g, 6h; Rome mint. Obv: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PARTHICO P M TR P COS VI P P; Laureate and draped bust right. Rev: SENATVS POPVLVS QVE ROMANVS; Victory, draped, advancing right, holding wreath in right hand and palm frond in left; S-C Reference: RIC 675. “Parthian interference in Armenia prompted Trajan to declare war against their king, Osroes I, in AD 114. He quickly re-established Roman control of Armenia, forced the submission of Osrhoene, and in AD 116 took Mesopotamia by defeating Osroes I. Rather than pursuing the Parthians into Iran, Trajan set up a pro-Roman Parthian "buffer state" in Mesopotamia under a puppet-king appointed by Trajan, Parthamaspates. This Victory type is one of many from this period of Trajan’s coinage that commemorates these exploits in the East.” -CNG SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS, frequently abbreviated on other Roman coinage as SPQR, means “The Senate and People of Rome.” the Victory-Left types with SPQR on shield are quite common. My coin is the Victory-Right with SPQR fully spelled out - very scarce. EX: @John Anthony ... and it is his attribution and write-up. (Thanks to you John)
Things had changed during Gallienus' time,but wouldn't a SPQR mintmark in Anatolia make sense? After all, Asia was a senatorial province.
While the SERD coins are leaders in their late Roman field. The title 'first' may have to go to the Flavians with EPE which we assume to be Ephesis. Mine is a Domitian as Caesar. I have no SPQR nor SERD coins of the period.
Thank you very much for pointing that out. I should have made it clear I was writing about late Roman imperial coins when I wrote my statement about "SERD" being the first. I even have one of the much earlier "EPE" coins: Vespasian, 69-79. Struck in 71. 18 mm. 3.24 grams. PACI AVGVSTAE EPE in lower right field RIC 1431 page 164 plate 77. RPC II 833 Are there any other relatively clear Roman imperial mint marks before Aurelian?