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Sestertius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C, Ceres
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 103-111 |
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| Value | 1 Sestertius = 1/4 Denarius |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Emperor Trajan facing right, rendered in high relief in the Trajanic portrait style characteristic of the Rome Mint's finest workshop output. The emperor's head displays the closely cropped hair and strong facial features typical of his official portraiture, with the laurel wreath denoting his imperial and military authority. The bust is set within a circular field bordered by a dotted inner circle, with the surrounding legend partially visible despite considerable surface patination and corrosion. The coin exhibits a deep olive-brown patina overlaid with areas of green encrustation consistent with long burial, and the flan shows irregular edges typical of hand-struck sestertii of the period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Standing figure of Ceres facing left in the central field, depicted in long robes and holding a long torch in her right hand and grain ears or a poppy in her left, attributes emblematic of her role as goddess of grain and agricultural fertility. The reverse field is heavily corroded and encrusted with green patination, rendering fine details of the figure partially obscured, though the general stance and iconographic type remain identifiable. The senatorial mark S C (Senatus Consultum) flanks the central figure in the lower field to left and right, authorizing the bronze coinage as per Roman convention. The surrounding legend reads S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, proclaiming the senate and Roman people's dedication of this issue to Trajan as the best of princes. The overall reverse composition follows the standard Trajanic sestertius format as catalogued under RIC II 478. |
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