Sestertius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C

Trajan's adoption of the title Optimus Princeps — "Best of Emperors" — was formalized by senatorial decree around 114 AD, though it appears on bronze coinage somewhat earlier, reflecting the Senate's eagerness to distinguish him from Domitian's despised memory. The abbreviation S P Q R preceding it was a deliberate constitutional gesture, casting the honor as a gift from the Roman people rather than a personal claim.

RIC II 543 falls within the period bracketing Trajan's Dacian Wars, campaigns that flooded the Roman treasury with enough bullion to fund an extraordinary building program. The orichalcum fabric of this period tends toward a rich golden tone when unclean.