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Sestertius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C, Victory
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 103-111 |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Emperor Trajan facing right, with drapery visible over the left shoulder; the portrait displays finely engraved hair rendered in short, layered strands beneath the laurel wreath, characteristic of Trajanic workshop style. The aegis or paludamentum drapes the left shoulder with a fastening visible at the chest. The circular legend runs along the outer rim of the obverse field. |
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| Obverse lettering | IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P (Translation: Imperator, Caesar, Nervae Traiano Augustus, Germanicus, Dacicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate, Consul Quintum, Pater Patriae. Supreme commander (Imperator), Caesar, of Nerva Trajan, emperor (Augustus), conqueror of the Germans, conqueror of the Dacians, high priest, holder of tribunician power, consul for the fifth time, father of the nation.) |
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Trajan's Victory sestertii of this period commemorate the Dacian Wars — two brutal campaigns concluded by 106 AD that annihilated the Dacian kingdom under Decebalus and brought Rome its last major territorial expansion. The title OPTIMO PRINCIPI, meaning "best ruler," was formally voted to Trajan by the Senate in 114 AD, though it appears on coinage well before that date, suggesting the mint was using it as honorific shorthand ahead of official ratification.
The Dacian gold and silver seized at Sarmizegetusa funded an extraordinary building program in Rome, including Trajan's Forum and Column — both begun around 107 AD.