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Sestertius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C, Pax
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 103-111 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Laureate bust of Emperor Trajan facing right, with drapery on the left shoulder, depicted in the heroic imperial style typical of the Trajanic period. The effigy presents a strong, idealized portrait with finely rendered laurel wreath. The encircling obverse legend runs clockwise around the bust, giving the emperor's full titulature in Latin. On some specimens the bust is additionally furnished with an aegis on the left shoulder. |
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| Reverse description | Pax, personification of Peace, is seated left upon a throne or chair, her figure rendered in flowing robes in the classical style. She extends an olive branch forward in her right hand, symbolizing peace, while her left arm rests at her side. At her feet, a captive Dacian kneels to the right in a posture of submission, referencing Trajan's victorious Dacian campaigns. The senatorial decree abbreviation S C (Senatus Consultum) appears prominently in the lower field, flanking the exergue, with the dedicatory legend arcing around the upper and side fields. |
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| Additional information |
Struck during the decade bracketed by Trajan's two Dacian wars, this issue falls within a period of extraordinary Roman fiscal pressure — the campaigns required financing on a scale that pushed the imperial treasury to reorganize bronze and orichalcum production across multiple mints. The title OPTIMO PRINCIPI, formally awarded by the Senate in 114 AD but appearing on coinage well before that date, reflects a sustained propaganda effort to position Trajan as the ideal ruler against the memory of Domitian's tyranny.
RIC II 510 is among the more frequently encountered sestertii of the reign, suggesting sustained mint output across the full date range.