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Dupondius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C AQVA TRAIANA
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 112-114 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A personification of the river god of the Aqua Traiana aqueduct reclines to the left upon a rocky outcrop set within an arched grotto supported by two columns, the composition celebrating the dedication of Trajan's great aqueduct completed in AD 109. The deity rests his left arm upon an overturned urn from which water flows, symbolising the spring's source, while his right hand holds a reed — a conventional attribute of river divinities in Roman iconography. The legend is disposed around the design field, with S C (Senatus Consultum) prominently placed to authorise the bronze issue, and AQVA TRAIANA identifying the subject below or within the field. The architectural framing of the grotto lends a monumental quality to the reverse type, appropriate to the grandeur of the engineering achievement commemorated. |
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The Aqua Traiana was completed around 109 AD, supplying fresh water to the Janiculum hill on the right bank of the Tiber — the first major aqueduct to serve that side of the city. Its construction required tapping Lake Bracciano, roughly 35 kilometers north of Rome. Trajan's decision to commemorate it on coinage was deliberate public relations; the emperor's building program was among the most aggressive in imperial history, and infrastructure issues circulated alongside military victories as proof of legitimate rule.
RIC II 609 is among the more frequently encountered Trajanic bronze types, struck across the 112–114 window at Rome.