Trajan's column (again)

For more than a year have been looking for a Dupondius with Trajan's column, even though they aren't rare, it really had been avoiding me. But I was lucky this week

Trajan's column is a unique masterpiece of engineering and art - even nowadays.

In 100 AD Trajan was in Rome. He had a good relationship with the senate, and his character and his respect towards others won him benevolence. Soon he was called “optimus” by the people, even before the senate awarded him this title.

He began to prepare a large campaign into the Danube region and in 101 AD he went to war against Dacia, an empire that had troubled Roman politics for over a decade. Trajan marched into the Dacian empire and in 102 AD their king Decebalus submitted, promised obedience and became a client king of Rome. Trajan returned to Rome in triumph and was awarded the title Dacicus. However, Decebalus started to challenge the Romans again leading raids across the Danube. In 106 AD, Trajan went to war for a second time against Decebalus. It was almost an extermination war. Decebalus, fled from his stronghold Sarmizegethusa, later renamed Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, and committed suicide thus avoiding to be captured and sent to Rome.
The war against Dacia had ended and Trajan celebrated his triumph during 123 days. The first province north of the Danube was created and settled by veterans of the Dacian wars – that's why Romanian is a Latin language. The loot he brought back was staggering. One contemporary chronicler boasted that the conquest yielded a half million pounds of gold and a million pounds of silver, not to mention a fertile new province. The enormous loot allowed Trajan to start a building program in the Empire, particularly in Italy and Rome.

​

To commemorate the victory, Trajan commissioned a forum that included a spacious plaza surrounded by colonnades, two libraries, a grand civic space known as the Basilica Ulpia, and possibly even a temple. The forum was “unique under the heavens,” one early historian enthused, “beggaring description and never again to be imitated by mortal men.”
Apollodoros designed and built Trajan’s column. According to the inscription on the column it was erected by the Senate and the people of Rome in honor of Trajan. The column was inaugurated on May, 12, 113 AD, one-and -a half years after the inauguration of the Forum. It rises to about 100 Roman feet (29.78 meters), a number for immeasurability. The shaft is made from 20 colossal Carrara marble drums and the over 200-meter frieze winds around the shaft 23 times with 2,662 carved figures in more than 200 scenes from the Dacian wars, and has on top of its 29.78 meters a statue of Trajan.The column was placed toward the northernmost point of the Trajan’s forum, acting as the focal point of the entire forum complex.
The Latin dedication on the pillar ends with the words "ad declarandum quantae altitudinis mons et locus tantis operibus sit egestus" proclaiming the place and height of the Quirinal hill that was removed by the remarkable enterprise of expanding the Forum.

The interior of Trajan's Column is hollow: entered by a small doorway at one side of the base, a spiral stair of 185 steps gives access to the platform above, having offered the visitor in antiquity a view over the surrounding Trajan's forum; 43 window slits illuminate the ascent. Goethe, a German poet, climbed the 185 internal steps in 1787 to “enjoy that incomparable view.”
After Trajan's death in 117 AD, his ashes and those of his wife Plotina were buried in golden urns (which later disappeared) in a chamber at the base of the column.

Source:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/trajan-column/article.html
https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Trajan's_Column

Ups, I got carried away and wrote too much about a very well-known topic.

The earliest representation of Trajan’s column on coins is from 111 AD (RIC 235, dated COS V DES VI).

This is the Dupondius, Ex Gorny & Mosch Auction 147 (3 July 2006), lot 2681 (part).
The obverse is quite worn, but one definitely recognizes the radiate head of Trajan and all the details are visible on the reverse: the whole statue, the podium with garland, the door to the podium and the two eagles.

Rome, 112 – 115 (?) AD
27.12 mm, 11.95 g

RIC II, 679; Cohen 360; Strack 457
Ob.: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P Radiate bust of Trajan to right with drapery on l. shoulder

Rev.: SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS Trajan's Column surmounted by a statue of Trajan standing left, holding spear in l. hand, on podium with garland, the door to which is visible, decorated with an eagle on right and left; S-C across fields

Haven't been able to find what is hanging on Trajan's right arm and what he is holding in his right hand

Picture courtesy Marc Breitsprecher.

Please share your Trajan's column coins or any Dacian Wars related coins.

 

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Trajan's column


Trajan Dacia Capta dupondius

 

Dupondius with reverse Trajan spearing fallen Dacian ...



Sestertius with victory / trophy reverse...


Dupondius with Dacia reverse , defeated, sitting on shields /arms / trophy.

 

Here http://www.trajans-column.org/?page_id=107 one can see all the column's scenes

 

I was fascinated with Trajan's Column as well, even more after a visit to Rome in 2014.

These are the coins in my collection depicting the Columna Traiana, or related to it.

 

Great Column @ambr0zie ! Congrats finally capturing one.

Nary a column, but I have always liked these two humble Trajans:


RI Trajan AR Den Rome CE 112-114. IMP TRAIANO COS VI P P l SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Trajan on horseback RIC 291



RI Trajan AR Denarius 98-117 CE 3 Standards

 

Nice one, @cmezner As it so happens, I got a Trajan's Column dupondius a couple weeks ago. This is one of those examples where "interesting type + price" trumped some very severe condition issues


Trajan Æ Dupondius
(114-117 A.D.)
Rome Mint
IMP CAES N[ER TRAIANO OPTI]MO AVG GER DAC PM [TR P] COS VI P P, radiate, draped bust right / SENATVS POPVLVSQV[E ROMANVS] S[C], Trajan's Column topped by statue of Trajan, 2 eagles at base
RIC II 679; Cohen 360.
(9.34 grams / 25 mm)
eBay Feb. 2022

 

I. too, lack a column coin of any sort. Once for a few seconds I thought I might have found one dut a second look showed that what I hoped to be a column was a club and what might have been its base was a crumpled lion skin. Actually this Hercules motif as is harder to find than the column but it was a momentary disappointment nonetheless.


Trajan must have realized that his place in history would be his Dacian war expanding Rome to its greatest extent before or since. The most common in silver and bronze shows a mourning Dacian with a pile of captured arms. This denarius is 'best' for its inclusion of DAC CAP in exergue.


My sestertius includes a trophy in the background that is not on my denarius.


There are several variations. This denarius shows a trophy with fewer arms.


Of the Trajan war types, my favorite as shows fancy shields in greater detail.

 

It's a great topic, well worth writing too much about (not that you have)! Congrats on the Dupondius. Trajan's Architectural and Monumental coinage is some of the most interesting RIC of the period, in my view.

RIC. Trajan AR Denarius (19mm, 3.4g, 8h). Rome, c. 114 AD.
Obv: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P. Laureate bust of Trajan right, drapery on shoulder.
Rev: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI. Depiction of the Columna Traiani, "Trajan's Column": tall column with spiral bands (bas relief friezes), statue of Trajan atop holding patera and long scepter. Base with two eagles.
Ref: RIC II 292, RSC 558.
Prov: Ex-Savoca 28 Blue 954​

I also have a couple of the Equus Traiani, which also once stood in the Forum but unlike the column is now lost to history, this being the slightly nicer one:

RIC. Trajan AR Denarius (20.1mm, 3.07g, 9h). Rome, c. 111 - 114 AD.
Obv: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P. Laureate bust right, slight drapery on shoulder.
Rev: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI. Depiction of the Equus Traiani statue in Trajan's Forum, Rome, Trajan on horseback left, holding spear in right hand, small Victory in left.
Ref: RIC II 291; BMCRE 445-8; RSC 497a; Sear 3166.
Prov: Ex - Agora 26-516; previously Harlan J Berk with tag, indicating purchase at 2008 NYINC Coin show ("1-12-08")​

My "backup" Equus:


And a "Bridge over the River Danube" AE As that I'd like to improve upon some day:

 

@cmezner, that's a really great example! I've been looking for a Trajan's column coin (whether a denarius or a bronze) for what feels like forever, but most of the ones I see are missing all or most of the statue at the top and/or the eagles on the base -- or, if they have them, cost $1,000+. Without all those elements, I don't see the point of buying one, and I don't really want to pay quite that much to get them. So I haven't found the right one yet. Someday!

Meanwhile, I do have a few Trajan coins dealing with the Dacian wars:

Trajan AR Denarius, 106 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right; IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TRP COS V P P / Rev. Captive Dacian in peaked cap with wide brim, seated right on shield in mournful attitude with left elbow on raised left knee, and face resting in left hand; below, curved Dacian sword (falx) right; SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI. RIC II 219 (http://numismatics.org/ocre/results?q=RIC+II+Trajan+219); RSC II 529; Sear RCV II 3168 (obv. var.); BMCRE 175 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_R-11584). 17 mm., 3.02 g., 6 h.



Trajan AR Denarius, AD 107 [Sear RCV II], Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder, IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P / Rev. Danuvius (the Danube), naked to waist, reclining with left elbow on rocks amidst reeds, looking right, cloak billowing out in circle behind head, right hand resting on ship behind him with prow in shape of bird’s head (swan?), COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC; in exergue, DANVVIVS. RIC II Trajan 100, RSC II 136 (ill. p. 88), Sear RCV II 3138 (ill. p. 102), BMCRE III 395. 19 mm., 3.05 g. Purchased from Silbury Coins, UK, Jan. 2022.*



*According to Foss at p. 100 [Clive Foss, Roman Historical Coins (Seaby, London, 1990)], this coin (Foss, Trajan No. 22), together with two other types (RIC II 542-544 and RIC 556-569), commemorate the preparations for the second Dacian war in AD 106, including “crossing into Dacia by a bridge and with the aid of the god of the Danube who helped to overcome Dacia.”

Trajan AR Denarius, AD 107-108, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder, IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P / Emperor standing in triumphal quadriga to right (decorated with image of Trajan standing left erecting trophy to right), holding branch with right hand extended and eagle-tipped scepter with left hand, COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC. RIC II 139 corr. (bust type); BMCRE III Trajan 349 at p. 78; RSC II 94; Sear RCV II 3131. Purchased Jan. 6, 2022 at Roma Numismatics E-Sale 93, Lot 974. 19 mm., 3.03 g., 6h.



Trajan AR denarius, AD 108-109, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P / Rev. Dacian captive, wearing cloak and peaked cap, seated left on pile of arms in attitude of mourning; right elbow resting on raised right knee, and face resting on right hand; about him, two curved swords in front, two spears and an oblong shield behind; COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC around; in exergue, DAC CAP. RIC II 98; RSC II Trajan 120(a) (rev. ill. p. 87); see also Foss (Trajan No. 286(b) at p. 101). Black patina. Purchased from Herakles Numismatics, Jan. 2022, NYINC 2022. 19 mm., 3.05 g.

 

Congrats on a very important pick up cmezner one of my favorites as well.
Trajan Sestertius of his column. 112-115 AD. 25gm, RIC 601.
AR silver denarius RIC11 356, Rome mint circa 114 AD, 3gm. 19.4mm. Toned.

 

More Trajan conquests - I just got this one in...it was affordable and it is green. Other than that, all I can say for it is that it is a type I couldn't normally afford - Trajan stomping on Armenia while the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers recline, looking on (with approval?).

So much legend on this one I had to split my attribution flip in two - although the photo does not show it, you can see all four reverse figures if you tilt it towards the light and squint really hard:


Trajan Æ Sestertius
(c. 116-117 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[IMP CAES NER TRAIANO] OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P [M TR P COS VI P P], laureate, draped bust right / [ARMENIA ET MESOPOTAMIA IN...
(see reverse for full description)
RIC II 642.
(23.30 grams / 32 x 31 mm)
eBay Mar. 2022 Ck $17.50 BIN
Full Reverse Description:
[IMP CAES NER TRAIANO] OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P [M TR P COS VI P P], laureate, draped bust right / [ARMENIA ET MESOPOTAMIA IN POTESTATEM P R REDACTAE], S C, Trajan standing front holding spear and parazonium; foot on reclining figure of Armenia, Tigris and Euphrates seated right and left

Here is what it really looks like - from Wildwinds, and probably costing more than $17.50:

 

It occurred to me to post these as well!

An old print of Trajan's column, purchased in Rome in 2008:




A photo I took during the same trip:

 

@Alegandron - thanks, but there was no mention about any of my coins on this thread
Great coins, all, and for me one of the the most pleasant designs.

A column denarius was one of my major targets.
In summer I participated in an auction where a decent (for my very indulgent standards) Column denarius was listed. For some reason, there was a bidding war on it. Although I was willing to overpay and my final bid was, in my opinion, already too much, I lost it. Disappointing. However, after a few lots another Column appeared. I didn't see it when preparing the wish list. Not too many people saw it either.

Trajan AD 98-117. Rome
Denarius AR
19 mm, 2,60 g
RIC 292, RSC 558
Date Range: AD 112 - AD 114
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P, bust of Trajan, laureate, draped, right / S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Column of Trajan surmounted with a statue of Trajan; two eagles at base and a wreath with spirals and dots on column

Modest coin, but I think this is one of my best buys for 26 EUR.
The example I lost was better but not by miles and my 150 EUR bid was not enough. It was a very unexpected surprise.

Another Dacia related coin from my collection


Trajan AD 98-117. Rome Denarius AR 20 mm., 2,96 g.
RIC II Trajan 130
Date Range: AD 103 - AD 111
Obverse Legend: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P
Type: Bust of Trajan, laureate, right (sometimes draped on left shoulder)
Reverse Legend: COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC
Type: Victory, naked to hips, standing right, left foot set on a step, inscribing DACICA on shield

My interest in adding new coins has decreased but one of my targets remains a DAC CAP denarius. I particularly like the type with the falx under the soldier, like the one presented by @DonnaML .

 

Oh mei! these Trajans are mind blowing, all of them.

I thought that after finding one Trajan column I'll be satisfied, but now I realize that I "need" also Trajan with a fallen Dacian, a captive Dacian, a Dacia defeated sitting on shield, a standing victory, one with Armenia & mesopotamia, an Equus Traiani, a club with crumpled lion skin, and of course an old print of Trajan's columns, the list goes on and on... will there ever be a time when one can say, ok, I don't "need" anymore Trajans?

There is also this description that I found interesting about Trajan's columns:

MY PRIVATE ITALY: TRAJAN’S COLUMN IN ROME, HOW THE ROMAN ARMY CONQUERED THE WORLD:
https://vitoritalytours.com/blog/it...nquered-the-world.html?tmpl=component&print=1

 

Well ... you'll need at least ONE MORE... once you've got the Columna and Equus you'll need to look the Forum Traiani to hold them.

I think there are some depictions not-in-gold (at least of the "triumphal archway entrances" shown below) but this is the grandest of them:

*** Below: NOT my coins (!) ***
photo & text from NAC 24, 72:

...Many Roman emperors were fond of architecture, and consequently for striking coins with architectural types, but in this regard we must acknowledge that Trajan was the most prolific of them all. On this aureus we have a depiction of his marvelous forum, represented by the façade of its entrance...

CNG 67, 1409:

...It is uncertain which arch this coin depicts, but its details are strikingly similar to depictions of the ornate entrance to the Basilica Ulpia in the Forum Traiani found on an aureus (RIC II 246) and Sestertius...

Next three ARE mine:
As a collector a captives coinage, I'm after as many poses of Dacian captives as possible. I've got at least three so far. The first (DACCAP) is the most recognizable, the third (standing w hands bound in front) is an unusual depiction and, unlike the first two, may only appear Trajan's coinage:

 

Love that poster Donna, and great pic of Marcus Aurelius column.

 

As far as I remember, it's the Trajan column. Why do you call it the Marcus Aurelius column?

 

You are definitely not helping and including all the different denominations... that is a long road ahead. No way!