Denarius - Trajan P M TR P COS VI P P S P Q R, Felicitas

Trajan's sixth consulship, held from 112 AD until his death in 117, coincided with the Parthian campaign — arguably the most ambitious Roman military undertaking since Augustus. The S.P.Q.R. formula in the legend signals senatorial authorization, a deliberate constitutional gesture Trajan cultivated throughout his reign to distinguish himself from Domitian's memory.

Felicitas on the reverse carried specific political freight in this period: less abstract good fortune, more a claim that Roman prosperity flowed directly from successful eastern conquest. Trajan died at Selinus in Cilicia before reaching Rome again.