When Gaius Messius Quintus Decius was confirmed as emperor by the Roman Senate in October 249, the month after his victory against Philippus Arabs at Verona, he was honored by his former colleagues with the illustrious additional name of Trajan, the emperor who had added Dacia to the empire one and a half centuries before. IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG - laureate and cuirassed bust of Trajan Decius right, seen from behind After this first step of linking himself with Trajan by adopting his name (which accordingly is featured on all of his coinage), according to Erika Manders („Coining Images of power“) Decius´ Dacia propaganda formed a second step, as demonstrated by the fact that the legend DACIA (or, later, also DACIA FELIX) is featured on the majority of Decius´geographical coin types. A possible motive for Decius to have featured Dacia so prominently on his coins must have been to associate himself with his great predecessor. Both initiatives, then, betray attempts by Decius to legitimize his power by presenting himself as Trajan´s heir in some respects. DACIA - Dacia, wearing robe reaching feet, standing left, holding Dacian Draco battle standard in right hand; S C in exergue Sestertius, Rome AD 250-251 (1st officina, 2nd-3rd emissions) 17.87gr / 28,5 mm RIC 112 a, Cohen 18, Sear 9399, Banti 1, Hunter 32 These coin types mentioned above present the personification of the province of Dacia, which is sometimes shown holding a Roman standard (Sestertius RIC 113), but more often with a vertical staff surmounted by a long-eared head, like on my coin. This head has mostly been interpreted as that of an ass. But, according to David Sear (based on the findings of Romanian expert A. Marian), it ist to be correctly identified as the „Draco“, the Dacian battle standard which was decorated with a wolf´s head and the tail of a „dragon“. Although the Dacia types lack any direct military reference and their legends mention only the region itself explicitly, the personification of the Province Dacia together with a military standard can (according to Manders) probably be linked to military activities as a consequence of barbaric invasions. By the time my coin was minted, the Carpi had attacked Dacia itself, while the Goths had crossed the Danube. Decius advanced against the invaders and found himself in what was to became a fight for life or death against the gothic chieftain Kniva and his hordes of barbarians. It all reached it´s peak in the deadly swamps of Abritus in June 251. After, according to one account, having dedicated himself and his young son and newly appointed co-Augustus Herennius Etruscus to the gods in a Devotio reminiscent of the two Decii of Republican times, father and son, who had sacrificed themselves for the salvation of the state, Trajanus Decius died a heroic (but futile) roman soldier´s death in the greatest military desaster of the third century. He and his son, who was struck down by an arrow early in the battle, were accordingly deified by the Senate when news of the catastrophe reached Rome and the young Caesar Hostilian, who was elevated to Augustus but would only survive his father and brother for a few months. The coin came with an old Spink ticket: Here are my first two Sestertii of this ruler: Let me know what you think and please share your Decius Bronzes and/or Dacia coins!
That's a cool coin, @Julius Germanicus , and the old Spink ticket is great! And I see you've decided to keep both of your original two sestertii of Decius from the Celebrity Death Match! I have another of Decius' geographical coins. This one depicts the two Pannoniae. Pannonia was a large region to the west of Dacia which formed much of the north-western part of the Balkan peninsula. The territory roughly comprised present-day western Hungary and parts of eastern Austria, as well as portions of several Balkan states, primarily Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia (Vojvodina). The Pannonians were mainly Illyrians, but there were some Celts in the western part of the province. It is the orange area in the upper left corner of this map: The Roman conquest of the area began in 35 BC under Octavian and was completed in 14 BC with the capture of Sirmium. Pannonia was organized as a separate province in AD 9 and garrisoned with three legions. Trajan divided the province about AD 106 into two parts. The western and northern districts constituted Pannonia Superior, while the southern and eastern districts comprised Pannonia Inferior. The division of this region into two parts is personified by two female figures on a variety of coins of Trajan Decius. Decius owed a lot of gratitude to the Pannonians; they were the first to proclaim his election to the purple, and it was to the fidelity and bravery of the Pannonian legions that he owed his victory over Philip. Trajan Decius AD 249-251. Roman Æ sestertius, 15.11 g, 29.4 mm, 1 h. Rome, AD 250-251. Obv: IMP CMQ TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: PANNONIAE S C, the two Pannoniae standing side by side, holding standards. Refs: RIC 124a; Cohen 87; Sear 9407; Hunter 54.
I finally have something to contribute to a Roman Imperial thread: Trajan Decius AE Sestertius (15.50g), RIC 117a, Cohen 53 - Trajan Decius AE Sestertius. IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, laureate & cuirassed bust right / GENIVS EXERC ILLVRICIANI S-C, Genius standing left, holding patera & cornucopiae, standard behind. Cohen 53, Sear 9404.
Do you have an idea on how old this ticket might be? I did actually sell the Victoria Sestertius because of the dark patina and the odd portrait but could not yet let go of the GENIVS EXERCITVS ILLYRICIANI specimen, even though the new one is just so much nicer in hand. And thank you for the great writeup on Pannonia!!!
Very strong and powerful portrait. You know how much I like TD and especially his Divi series. Here are two Dacias of his Trajan Decius, Sestertius Rome mint, AD 251 IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right DACIA, Dacia standing left, holding roman standard, S|C in field 20,98 gr Cohen # 28, RCV # 9400 Trajan Decius, Antoninianus Rome mint, AD 250-251 IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind DACIA, Dacia standing left holding a standard surmounted by an ass's head 3.52 gr - 20/23 mm Ref : RCV # 9368, RSC # 16, RIC IV-3 # 12b Q
Great write-up and Sestertii @Julius Germanicus ! I have only an Ant for him: RI Trajan Decius 249-251 CE AR Ant Dacia draco standard
Your specimens do not only show great portraits, but also (as opposed to my Decii) display wonderful detailed and sensitive reverses that even allow us to make out different individual personalities of Dacia, like a young woman on the Sestertius and what looks like a boy on the Antoninianus. Beautiful!!!
Nice write-up, Julius Germanicus. And some nice examples all around. My TD Dacia sestertius is on a very square flan, characteristic of that era, so I've heard. When I got it, I was at first puzzled by the reverse legend, which is aligned almost straight up and down on either side of the figure - better to fit the square flans? Sorry about the slanted photo - I think these are the seller's, or I was drinking and photographing again. Early this year I got a Pannonia sestertius of Trajan Decius - another square flan:
Great portrait!!!! Wonderful write ups .. I learned a lot from this thread - and I certainly appreciate that. I do not yet own a Trajan Decius coin... but it's on my radar. I will add a coin from the original Trajan - with a very young looking portrait.. if he was a rapper he would say that as a young man he put the "DAC " in "Dacia"!!! Trajan, AD 98-117 Roman AR denarius; 2.92 gm, 20.1 mm, 7 h Rome, AD 114-117 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, Mars walking right with spear and trophy Refs: RIC 337; BMCRE 536; Cohen 270; RCV --; Woytek 520v; Strack 230; BN 819.
Just purchased this one a day ago..traian decius provincia dacia two standards with the lion and the eagle AN IIII.
