Quinarius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Victory

The quinarius denomination had been nearly moribund for over a century by Trajan's reign, revived only sporadically and in limited quantities. Why it reappears here — during the Dacian war commemorative issues of 112–114 — is debated, but the prevailing view links these small silver pieces to donative payments or military distribution rather than general commerce. Surviving examples are scarce relative to the denarius issues of the same period, and RIC II 284 is among the rarer entries in an already thin denomination.