Trajan Coins
98 AD-99 AD
Trajan (98–117 AD) expanded Rome to its greatest territorial extent, and his coinage reflects that ambition. The Dacian Wars of 101–106 AD produced some of the most iconic Roman coin types: the DAC CAP sestertius with a mourning captive, the trophy types, and the SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI reverse legend that became a hallmark of the reign. Trajan's portrait is recognisable — a strong jaw, short military hair, almost always laureate. His obverse legends progress through tribunician and consular dates that help pin types to specific years. The Rome mint dominated production, but supplementary issues from eastern mints (sometimes attributed to uncertain locations) add variety. Denominations range from gold aurei through silver denarii to the large brass sestertii that showcase the finest die work of the period. RIC II (Mattingly and Sydenham 1926) remains the standard printed reference, supplemented by Woytek's 2010 die study for advanced attribution. The "restored coins" series — restriking types of earlier emperors — is a distinctive feature of Trajan's coinage and highly sought by specialists. Common denarii with Victory or Virtus reverses are widely available and affordable in decent grade.
Coin Types (747)
Showing 60 of 747 types
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