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As - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C, Jupiter and Victory
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 103-111 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Jupiter enthroned in the center of an elaborate octastyle temple depicted in frontal perspective, with the god shown seated and holding his characteristic attributes. The temple's architrave is adorned with a frieze featuring Jupiter flanked by additional divine figures. Upon the temple's pediment and roofline, a central figure holding a spear is flanked symmetrically by two standing Victories, their wings outspread. The senatorial mark of value S C (Senatus Consultum) appears prominently in the field, while the dedicatory legend S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI runs along the outer border. The architectural detail is rendered with exceptional precision, typical of the ambitious Trajanic series commemorating Rome's monumental building program. |
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| Additional information |
The years 103–111 AD bracket Trajan's two Dacian wars, and bronze aes of this period circulated heavily among the legions and civilian populations of a state stretched by prolonged campaigning on the Danube frontier. The Senate's award of the title Optimus Princeps — formally ratified around 114 AD but in common use years earlier — appears on this issue as both honorific and political statement, positioning Trajan explicitly above all predecessors in virtue.
RIC II 577 is a relatively common type within the series, though die alignment and flan quality vary considerably across surviving examples.