Denarius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI ARAB ADQ, Arabia

Arabia Petraea had been absorbed into the empire in 106 AD under Trajan's governor Cornelius Palma, ending the Nabataean kingdom without a recorded military campaign — the annexation was diplomatic enough that no triumph was awarded. This coin belongs to the commemorative series issued several years after the fact, part of a broader propaganda programme advertising Trajan's provincial acquisitions alongside his Dacian victories. The ARAB ADQ legend — short for Arabia adquisita — was a deliberate choice of wording, distinguishing peaceful acquisition from conquest.