Trajanus Decius - Dacia

When I started collecting ancient coins, I wanted at least one coin related to Dacia. Not the "true" Dacian drachms, as I simply don't like them (they are similar somehow to Celtic drachm imitations). The Koson coins were way out of my league.

Of course I know a lot of coins were issued under Trajan, the conqueror of Dacia, but I couldn't find one with true Dacian symbols (the Column, the Danube bridge...) in my price range.
While browsing to an auction today and being outbid on a lot of Imperial coins (it looks like I wasn't the only one preparing the Christmas gift) I found this.

Decent condition, decent price (I thought it would get higher but I won it without crying too much).
I identified it as

Trajan Decius AD 249-251. Rome Antoninianus AR 21 mm., 2,28 g.
RIC IV Trajan Decius 12
Date Range: AD 249 - AD 251
Obverse IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG
Type: Bust of Trajan Decius, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right

Reverse DACIA
Type: Dacia, draped in long robe reaching feet, standing left holding staff topped with a wolf's head (Draco)
Not sure if it's RIC 12 or 13 as I don't see the difference between them.

I am sure there is an error on RIC and OCRE as the reverse is described as "holding vertical staff with head of ass in right hand". This is illogical as the staff with the wolf head was a Dacian symbol and what they mention is not related to Dacia.

I am happy with the coin as this is my first coin related to Dacia (not counting the Trajan coins with the obverse legend Traiano AVG GER DAC); also my first Decius coin, I just found out that he named himself Trajanus to honor the emperor Trajan.

Post your coins related to Dacia, please.

 

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Don't have a Dacia type yet. @Roman Collector went into a considerable detail on draco standards in this article...just to add to the discussion.

 

Thanks, great topic and info, I wasn't aware of it!

 

Nice coin.
Trajan Decius

Philip I, Provincia Dacia

 

Interesting Philip I!
I wasn't aware there were provincial coins minted in Dacia. I see the reverse is very similar to the Viminacium coinage (lion and eagle vs lion and bull)

 

Trajan Decius antoninianus



Q

 

Ruler: Trajan Decius (Augustus)
Coin: Silver Antoninianus
IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG - radiate, draped, & cuirassed bust right
DACIA - Dacia standing left, holding draco standard or vertical staff surmounted by ass's head
Mint: (249-251 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 4.07g / 22mm / -
References RIC 12., RSC 1
Notes: May 11, 16 - I am pretty sure that the "ass's head" is in fact a draco.

Photo doesn't show the lustre which is quite nice in hand.

 

Thanks, @ancient coin hunter, for posting the link from @Roman Collector.
One example of these was the first coin I bought as a kid, in the earlier 1970s, which was Roman (in context, 3rd-4th century) and still, recognizably silver in composition. Decades later, I was gifted an example which is only better, for which I wish I had good pics.

 

Great example, @ambr0zie. Here's mine:



You can see very clearly on mine and most of the others posted here, I think, that it's a wolf's head (Draco), not an "ass's" head. Unfortunately, many dealers tend to repeat outdated descriptions if they're still in the catalogs.

 

I wasn't aware about @Roman Collector's thread but I think everybody agrees that the symbol has nothing to do with a donkey. When I searched for the RIC number, after buying the coin, and saw the description, I knew it's wrong.
I found this coin for sale on various websites, but some of the sellers described it correctly.
I am from Romania, I know a lot about Dacia and Dacians, as they are our ancestors. The donkey isn't a Dacian symbol, but the wolf is.
The only thing I don't like about my coin is that the wolf head is either worn or incorrectly struck as it doesn't look like a wolf head.

A commemorative coin from 2019, with this Dacian symbol on it.

 

It looks kind of like a carnyx in this illustration.

 

I prefer to use the Carnyx description for this reverse.

There is also a Dacia Felix reverse with a standard.

 

Ae sestertius of Trajan Decius with Dacia reverse...

 

TRAJAN DECIUS


RI Trajan Decius 249-251 CE AR Ant Dacia draco standard


I am going to argue that mine is the Staff of the Winged Hippopotamus...

 

Although I argue otherwise, mine really DOES look like a donkey head!

 

Interesting. The illustration I provided is from here - https://www.alamy.com/na-english-da...469-draco-bearer-duruy-lb-image210165992.html

1993 banknote:

 

Nice Dacia! Decius has an interesting variety of references to the Eastern European provinces on his coins:


Trajan Decius, Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 249–251 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG; bust of Trajan Decius, draped, cuirassed, and laureate, r. Rev: DACIA: Dacia standing left, holding draco. 22mm, 3.66g. Ref: RIC IV Traian Decius 12.


Trajan Decius, Roman Empire, antoninian, 249–251 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG; bust of Trajan Decius, radiate, draped and cuirassed, r. Obv: GENIUS EXERC ILLVRICIANI; Genius of the Illyrian army standing l., holding patera and cornucopia, modius on head, standard to r. 23mm, 4.67g. Ref: RIC IV Trajan Decius 16.


Trajan Decius, Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, 249–251 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, bust of Trajan Decius, draped and radiate, r. Rev: PANNONIAE, the two Pannoniae standing, holding standards. 23mm, 4.14g. Ref: RIC IV,3 Trajan Decius 21b.

 

I have two Provincia Dacia coins:


Both coins experienced an extremely harsh chemical cleaning. If you think they look bad now, you shoulda seen them before...

 

Quite embarrassing that I found about Provincia Dacia coinage from this thread.
I'm sure I saw others in the past but I was convinced they are Viminacium and skipped them, as I have one and that's enough for me.

 

It's definitely very similar for sure, a very similar motif, but different because Dacia holds two standards while Vim has hands down.
My only two Vims:




Different animals but the same type of "theme" - city personification surrounded by two representative animals.

I wonder if the similarities were intentional.