Trajan issued many coins that referenced particular conquests. I tell a short version of the story of this Parthian conquest here: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/types/ARMENIA.html which I posted today after acquiring this coin recently: Quite a few hours of research later, I had that small web page ready to go. Ancient coins tell stories and doing the research to find and tell the story is a big part of the hobby for me. I think every ancient coin is interesting, but some are more interesting than others. Take a look (the same URL again): http://augustuscoins.com/ed/types/ARMENIA.html Show us a coin related to a conquest of Trajan!
That is as impressive a sestertius of Trajan as I have seen. I have no appropriate sestertii. I wonder haw many Romans 'on the street' recognized who carried these shields as shown on this as.
Great post, Valentinian - and I like your site too. Going from a beautiful coin to a pretty poor specimen, I just got a budget denarius of Trajan. While researching it, I came across some information that the type - FORT RED - was issued for Trajan's Parthian campaign - I found this on a trajancoins site (anybody from CT? - It's a great place to visit): http://trajancoins.info/trajden3.html. "The four FORTUNA REDUX coins above were minted to wish Trajan good fortune on his expedition to Parthia. For that part the blessing worked well as Trajan's army swept into Mesopotamia and captured the Parthian capital. However, good fortune stopped there as Trajan was diverted by rebellions in Judaea, Cyprus, and Mesopotamia, and Egypt. Although he suppressed all of these, he fell ill and never made it back to Rome. The images on the coins are similar. The major difference being in the inscriptions." The four types referred to are RIC 308 and RIC 318-320. It is a fairly common type. Here are mine - the first one I just got for five bucks and change: Trajan Denarius (114-117 A.D.) Rome Mint [IMP CAES] NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GERM [DAC], laureate draped bust right / PM TRP COS VI P[P SPQR], Fortuna seated l., holding rudder & cornucopiae, FORT [RED]. RIC 318; RSC 154; Sear 984 (3.20 grams / 19 mm) This is my (somewhat) nicer one from a couple years back:
Awesome coin @Valentinian, I still need that type for my collection. I do have two other Trajan sestertii commemorating his Parthian campaign: a REX PARTHIS DATUS (A king given to Parthia) referencing his installation of Parthamaspates as a puppet-king of Parthia: and a REGNA ADSIGNATA (kingdoms assigned) showing Trajan doling out kingdoms to three kings, probably Paarthamaspates and the rulers of Characene and Osrhoene:
Here is a coin of one of the Pathian rules at the time of the Trajan's invasion. I don't know my history will enough to know how much this cat was involved, there was some Parthian infighting going on at the time as well. Kings of Parthia, Vologases III (105-147 AD), AR Drachm O: Diademed and bearded bust l., R: King enthroned r., holding bow and arrow at r., monogr, Greek legend. Ecbatana mint. Sellwood 78.5. 20 mm, 3.8 g
Arabia Petraea, Bostra. Trajan. A.D. 98-117. AR drachm (18.57 mm, 2.92 g, 8 h). Struck A.D. 114-116. AYTOKP KAIC NEP TPAIANω APICTω CЄB ΓЄPM ΔAK, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / ΔHMAPX EΞ UPATO ς, Camel walking left. SNG ANS 1158; SNG von Aulock 6408; Sydenham, Caesarea 205. VF. Ex Harlan J. Berk
Valentinian the sestertii of Trajan are among my favorite coins. The coin I have that is closest to yours is this one Trajan sestertius RIC 642
