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Sestertius - Trajan S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C, Victory
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 112-114 |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Trajan on horseback advancing right, depicted as an equestrian commander in full military attire, raising his right hand in a gesture of salutation or command; a figure, likely a captive or fallen enemy, appears beneath the horse's hooves, symbolising Roman military triumph. The exergue is divided by a ground line above which the equestrian group stands, with the senatorial authority mark S C (Senatus Consultum) prominently displayed in the lower field. The surrounding legend proclaims the dedication of the senate and Roman people to Trajan as Optimus Princeps. The composition conveys imperial power and martial virtue in the grand tradition of Roman official coinage. |
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| Additional information |
Issued in the years immediately preceding Trajan's Dacian triumph commemorations and the opening of his famous forum in 112 AD, this sestertius falls within one of the most productive and politically charged minting periods of the entire Principate. The title OPTIMO PRINCIPI — "best of princes" — had been formally conferred on Trajan by the Senate in 114 AD, making its appearance on coinage a deliberate exercise in senatorial flattery rendered in metal.
RIC II 598 is well-documented within the series. The S C reverse attribution confirms senatorial authorization of the bronze issue, a constitutional formality that by Trajan's reign had become largely ceremonial.