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Sestertius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C, Fortuna
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 103-111 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Emperor Trajan facing right, with drapery visible on the left shoulder, rendered in high relief in the characteristic Trajanic portrait style. The emperor's features are rendered with naturalistic detail, displaying his distinctive close-cropped hair beneath the laurel wreath. The encircling Latin legend runs clockwise around the periphery of the flan, separated from the portrait by a plain inner border. |
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| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The legend OPTIMO PRINCIPI — "to the best of princes" — was not a flattery Trajan inherited but one he earned and then institutionalized. The Senate formally conferred the title Optimus on him in 114 AD, but it had been appearing on coinage well before that, reflecting a calculated consensus between emperor and Senate that distinguished Trajan's reign sharply from Domitian's. RIC II 500 falls squarely within the period bracketing the Dacian Wars, campaigns that reshaped Rome's northeastern frontier and flooded the treasury with Transylvanian gold.