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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Julius Germanicus, post: 3142463, member: 80783&quot;]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.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]803444[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><b>IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG -</b> laureate and cuirassed bust of Trajan Decius right, seen from behind</p><p><br /></p><p>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.&nbsp; 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.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]803445[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><b>DACIA -</b> Dacia, wearing robe reaching feet, standing left, holding Dacian Draco battle standard in right hand; S C in exergue</p><p>Sestertius, Rome AD 250-251 (1st officina, 2nd-3rd emissions)</p><p>17.87gr / 28,5 mm</p><p>RIC 112 a, Cohen 18, Sear 9399,&nbsp; Banti 1, Hunter 32</p><p><br /></p><p>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“.</p><p><br /></p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>It all reached it´s peak in the deadly swamps of Abritus in June 251.</p><p><br /></p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>The coin came with an old Spink ticket:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]803447[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are my first two Sestertii of this ruler:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]803454[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]803453[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Let me know what you think and please share your Decius Bronzes and/or Dacia coins![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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