Description

The Coin

Trajan (98-118 CE)
Silver Denarius
Obv: Laurate head
Rev: SPQR optimo principi. Three military standards.

Trajan

The first of the two coins minted under Trajan is a silver denarius. On the front, there is a bust of a laureate, someone who has been honored with a laurel for a victory in athletics or poetry. The laurel is made of twigs and leaves and its significance comes from Apollo wearing a laurel in Greek mythology. On the reverse, there are three military standards. Trajan’s expansionary agenda explains the presence of military standards on the coin, as the Roman military, especially under Trajan, is very important to Roman culture. During Trajan’s rule, Rome engaged in territorial conflicts in Dacia, Arabia, Armenia, and Mesopotamia. Trajan’s major domestic accomplishments were putting in place a policy of helping feed the poor and conducting public work projects, such as building roads, bridges, and aqueducts.