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Denarius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Genius
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 112-114 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 3.1 g |
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| Obverse description | Laureate bust of Emperor Trajan facing right, with drapery over the left shoulder, rendered in the confident high-relief style characteristic of Trajanic imperial portraiture. The emperor's effigy displays finely detailed hair beneath the laurel wreath, with strong facial features including a prominent nose and defined jaw. The paludamentum is visible at the left shoulder, fastened with a clasp. The encircling legend runs along the outer border of the flan, partially visible on this irregularly shaped specimen. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Trajan's OPTIMO PRINCIPI title — "best of princes" — was formally conferred by the Senate in 114 AD and appeared on coinage in the years immediately preceding, making this issue part of the deliberate propaganda campaign surrounding both that honor and the imminent Parthian campaign. The S P Q R prefix framing the legend was an unusually prominent invocation of senatorial authority, deployed by Trajan more consistently than almost any other emperor.
RIC II 276 falls within a well-documented emission tied to the Dacian victory period, minted at Rome under the supervision of the imperial fiscus.