I have tried to attribute this piece using the Sear book and the ANS site, "On line coins of the Roman Empire." After entering what seems to be more than enough data, it comes to a dead end. Here is the piece. It appears that the obverse reads, "IMP CAES NER V A TRAIN AVG GERM P M." The dealer from whom I purchased this piece said that the reverse is of "Victory" and the lettering seems to be "PMTRPCO ..." Thank you for any help you can give me.
Looks like: Trajan Denarius. 100 AD. IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG GERM, laureate head right / PM TRP COS III P P, Victory seated left holding patera and palm. RSC 223. http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/trajan/t.html
Generally speaking, denarii were used to stress the legitimacy of the Emperor, which ultimately rested in one man holding multiple Republican offices concurrently: Pontifex Maximus (PM) - Head of the religion, analogous to the modern Pope Tribunicia Potestas (TR P) - Power of the Tribune, able to intercede to the Senate on behalf of the people, and to veto motions they passed. Renewed annually every December Consul (COS) - One of two men elected to lead the senate; the emperor usually held this office at least once, often at least once before becoming Emperor Imperator (IMP) - Commander of the Army Patents Patriae (PP) - Father of the Fatherland - really just an honorific Toward the Severan period it became common for the reverse legend to coordinate with the iconography, but on the earlier coins the "generic" issues would just list off the emperor's credentials along with a deity. Nearly all Roman coins that feature a winged female are portraying Victory - the only other one I can easily think of would be the much less common Pax-Nemesis. Since there is no numerals after the TR P, that would normally indicate this to be part of Trajan's first year coinage, although I have my doubts, as this is one of the most common issues and I've never seen one with TR P II or beyond.
Great looking coin with nice toning johnmilton... I agree with Finn on this coins legend and would like to hear other people's opinions.. Trajans CAES..IMP..GERM was his 1st year reign AD97 COSII..AUG..PM..PP.. AD98 COSIII.. AD100 Yet his TRP stays on AD97 and should read TRP V.....Why?...Any ideas? For sure I'm missing something...
@Roman Collector...Yes I realised the op coin was minted in AD100 but do you know why the TRP has stayed static at AD97 with no numbers following?
Thank you @Spaniard. I spotted that Trajan Denarius at a show, liked the toning, and it was inexpensive. My primary objective has been to get one coin for each of the 12 Caesars, but when I spot a piece from one of the later emperors which I don’t have that I like, I buy it if it’s not expensive. I don’t know how far I might go with this. I am working on a “bullet book” as I did with the British kings, it’s all in the preliminary stages.
I refer you to the section on Trajan's chronology in BMCRE3.* Mattingly notes that although there are coins with inscriptions such as TR P VII COS IIII DES V and TR P VII COS V, there are "few coins on which the numbered tribunician power occurs" and that the "tribunician power ('tribunica potestate') is normally used by Trajan as part of his official title, not with a number as a date" (p. lv). *Mattingly, Harold. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum. Vol. III: Nerva to Hadrian, British Museum, 1966, pp. lii-lxiv.
Another sign this coin is early in the reign is the use of NERVA on the obverse. In general, new emperors tended to start referring to their predecessor more fully, then abbreviating and finally simplifying to just their name after everyone knew them as legitimate. Watch for NERVATRAIN and NERTRAIN coins. Later you will find early Hadrian coins mentioning Trajan. Also in general, be careful not to impose 'rules' of how titles must be done that have been developed by modern scholars but were not known to the emperors. TRP is more likely to lack a numeral than is COS but that does not mean there was an error using the unnumbered one. IMP is similar but more likely to be numbered when used at the end of a legend than when used at the start. They made the 'rules' as they went along. It is our job to accept their way.
