Sestertius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C, Tiber and Dacia

Issued during or shortly after the Dacian Wars, this sestertius belongs to a programmatic series celebrating Trajan's conquest of Dacia — a campaign that brought Rome an estimated 165 tonnes of gold and half a million pounds of silver from the Dacian royal treasury at Sarmizegetusa. The influx was staggering enough to fund a decade of building programs, including the forum and column that still bear Trajan's name.

RIC II 559 is among the more frequently encountered types from this issue, suggesting sustained production across multiple die pairs throughout the series run.