Thread by @DocCrom

Ancient Coin of the Day: Today’s thread is about Trajan’s building projects as commemorated on coins, starting with a sestertius of the Circus Maximus ca. AD 103-111. #ACOTD #Trajan #Buildings

Image: RIC 2 Trajan 571; Münzkabinett Wien (RÖ 8287). Link - numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2.…

While he is perhaps better known for the military aspects of his reign, it cannot be disputed that Trajan was also keenly interested in building work and infrastructure, with many of his works commemorated on the coins that he issued.

The Obverse shows a laureate Trajan, with the detailed Legend IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P – ‘For Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus, Germanicus, Dacicus, Pontifex Maximus, with Tribunician Power, Consul for the fifth time, Father of the Fatherland’.

The Reverse shows the Circus Maximus, with the details of obelisk, spina, and metae clearly visible. The Legend reads S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI – ‘The Senate and People of Rome, for the Best Ruler’ – the appearance of ‘optimo principi’ entailing the coin dates from AD 103 onwards.

Trajan is said to have enlarged and beautified the Circus Maximus (Dio 68.15.7), yet while Dio would suggest his modesty "merely inscribing on it a statement that he had made it adequate for the Roman people", coins from this period speak of his commemoration of various projects.

Both base and precious metal coins were used to commemorate these Trajanic projects, such as this aureus of AD 112-114 showing the facade of his Forum, including the statues that decorated it.

Image: RIC 2 Trajan 255; British Museum (1996,0316.56). Link - numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2.…

Given the importance of campaigning to his imperial image, military monuments were also commemorated, including his Column for the Dacian Wars, shown here on a sestertius of AD 112-114.

Image: RIC 2 Trajan 600; Münzkabinett Berlin (18204495). Link - numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2.…

Indeed, the Dacian campaign is perhaps celebrated again in a curious coin design that appears on both as and (here) sestertius issues, showing a single-span bridge.

Image: RIC 2 Trajan 569 (sestertius); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (35.259). Link - numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2.…

This bridge has been variously interpreted as perhaps being the famous bridge that Trajan, and his architect Apollodorus, set up over the Danube in AD 104, in preparation for his second Dacian campaign. Alternatively it could refer to a restoration of the Pons Sublicius.

More tantalising are those buildings on the coins which we CANNOT identify, such as this temple on a sestertius of AD 103-111, with Jupiter seated in centre of octastyle temple.

Image: RIC 2 Trajan 577; Staatliche Münzsammlung München (16-00132). Link - numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2.…

For more on these fantastic coins, see:

Marzano, Annalisa. “Trajanic Building Projects on Base-Metal Denominations and Audience Targeting.” Papers of the British School at Rome, vol. 77, 2009, pp. 125–158.

jstor.org/stable/25754012

#ACOTD #Trajan #Buildings