Sestertius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C, Victory

Trajan's adoption of the title *Optimus Princeps* — "Best of Emperors" — was formally conferred by the Senate around 114 AD, though it appears on coinage somewhat earlier, reflecting the Senate's gradual accumulation of honorifics for a reign defined by the Dacian conquests and ambitious building programs. The sestertius series bearing this legend belongs to the productive middle years of his reign, when the enormous wealth extracted from Dacian gold and silver mines funded both the mint output and the infrastructure projects commemorated across his coinage.