Trajan Copper-Alloy As, RIC II Trajan 675 (as)

Monetary Context and Denominational Function

The monetary system of the early Roman Empire under the Ulpian dynasty maintained the Augustan trimetallic framework, in which base-metal issues provided essential liquidity for day-to-day retail exchange. The as occupied the foundational level of state token coinage, valued at one-quarter of a brass sestertius, one-half of a dupondius, and one-sixteenth of the primary silver denarius. While gold aurei and silver denarii facilitated large fiscal transactions, military salaries, and state revenues, the production of aes coinage was vital for urban commercial stability in Rome, across the Italian peninsula, and throughout Romanized western provinces. Under Trajan, vast quantities of bullion entered imperial circulation following the conquest of Dacia in AD 106, prompting extensive restructuring of the currency and high-volume output of both precious and base-metal denominations. Unlike the dupondius and sestertius, which were traditionally struck on yellow brass (orichalcum), the as continued to be manufactured predominantly from copper or related low-zinc copper alloys. This metallurgical distinction was visually reinforced by the portrait convention: while dupondii usually featured the emperor wearing a radiate crown, the as maintained the classic laureate wreath. The issue represented by RIC II Trajan 675 (as) reflects the mature phase of Trajanic monetary administration, balancing civic utility with political communication during a period marked by massive eastern military operations in Parthia.

Production Standards and Mint Organization

The entire regular production of RIC II Trajan 675 (as) took place at the primary imperial mint located in the city of Rome. Although some eastern provincial mints produced local bronze issues or pseudo-imperial base-metal denominations during the Parthian campaigns, Rome remained the sole producer of the standard senatorial aes coinage carrying the S C formula. Mint administration at Rome during the Trajanic period was organized under the oversight of imperial freedmen and equestrian procurators, employing skilled die engravers (scalptores), flan castors, and hammermen. Bronze flans were produced using two-part clay or stone moulds to form blanks of approximately uniform weight and circular profile, which were subsequently heated and struck between hardened intaglio dies. The nominal target weight for the Trajanic as hovered around 10 to 11 grams, with typical diameters ranging between 26 and 28 millimeters, though considerable weight variation occurred across individual batches due to the al marco adjustment system practiced in ancient base-metal striking. Die alignment in this period was consistently oriented close to six o'clock or twelve o'clock, reflecting careful mechanical control during the striking process. Die studies of late Trajanic aes reveal an extensive network of obverse and reverse die linkages, confirming high-speed parallel anvil operations designed to meet continuous public demand for divisional cash.

Obverse Portraiture and Iconography

The obverse of RIC II Trajan 675 (as) presents an authoritative right-facing portrait of Trajan, wearing a laurel wreath and featuring drapery over his left shoulder or across both shoulders. The imperial likeness represents the late dynastic portrait tradition, often classified as the Decennalia or late type in Trajanic iconography. Abandoning the youthful idealization seen early in his reign, the portrait displays a seasoned commander with mature facial features, characterized by prominent cheekbones, deeply set eyes, a straight aquiline nose, and the characteristic low-cut fringe of combed hair falling across the forehead. The laurel wreath symbolizes military triumph and imperial dignity, tied at the nape of the neck with fluttering ribbons that drape down the emperor's neck. The addition of drapery emphasizes civil and military majesty, distinguishing this variant from purely naked-neck bust variations of the same general issue. The encircling legend is cut in clear, classical capital letters, framed neatly within an outer border of fine beads. The spatial composition balances the bold, sculptural relief of the imperial bust with the expansive titular legend, projecting an aura of imperial stability and supreme administrative capability.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse of the type features a dynamic depiction of Victory (Victoria), draped in a flowing stola and peplos, striding purposefully toward the right. In her outstretched right hand she elevates a laurel wreath, the universal Roman emblem of martial triumph, while her left hand supports a long palm branch resting diagonally across her left shoulder. Her wings are unfurled behind her back, rendered with fine incised feathering that gives an impression of celestial movement. The motif of advancing Victory holds deep ideological significance in late Trajanic numismatics, providing direct visual propaganda for the successful campaigns waged against the Parthian Empire and the annexation of Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Assyria between AD 114 and 116. Unlike static reverse types showing Victory standing or inscribing a shield, the advancing posture emphasizes ongoing imperial success and divine favour guiding Rome's armies. The flanking letters S and C are boldly positioned in the left and right fields, reaffirming the senatorial partnership in honouring the emperor's achievements. Beneath Victory's feet lies an exergual baseline grounding the composition, framed by a continuous border of dots identical to that of the obverse.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The inscriptions of RIC II Trajan 675 (as) provide critical epigraphic markers for dating and ideological analysis. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P, expanding to Imperatori Caesari Nervae Traiano Optimo Augusto Germanico Dacico, Pontifici Maximo, Tribunicia Potestate, Consuli Sextum, Patri Patriae. A distinctive feature of this inscription is the placement of the dative case (Traiano Optimo), indicating that the coinage was minted in dedicated honour of the emperor by the Roman authorities. The prominent inclusion of OPTIMO reflects the official adoption of this title in autumn AD 114, following its formal bestowal by the Senate. Trajan's sixth consulship (COS VI), entered in AD 112, remains static on coinage through the end of his reign. On the reverse, the legend SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS explicitly spells out the sovereign authority of the Senate and People of Rome, reinforcing the constitutional bond celebrated across late Trajanic coinage. The letters S C, signifying Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'), occupy the open field rather than the legend perimeter, maintaining a traditional distinction for base-metal issues that had endured since the monetary reforms of Augustus.

Typology and Chronological Placement

In the standard classification systems of Roman numismatics, RIC II Trajan 675 (as) is defined as a specific typological entry within the broader corpus of Trajan's sixth-consulship bronze coinage. In his foundational study of second-century imperial coinage, Paul L. Strack categorized this issue under the late Rome mint group characterized by the introduction of the title Optimus into the obverse legend, placing its striking firmly between late AD 114 and the emperor's death in August AD 117. Bernhard Woytek refined this chronology in his definitive work Arma et Nummi (MIR 14), identifying this specific type as part of emission sequence 53 or 54 of the Rome mint, struck predominantly in AD 115-116 during the height of the Parthian War. While similar Victory motifs occur on earlier Trajanic asses, those prior issues either lack the title Optimus or feature alternative legend formulas such as SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI. The specific combination of the dative obverse legend including OPTIMO, the draped bust right, the reverse legend SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS, and the advancing Victory right holding wreath and palm uniquely distinguishes RIC 675 (as) from neighboring catalogue types.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Evidence

Archaeological excavation reports and hoard evidence confirm that base-metal asses produced in Rome circulated extensively throughout the western provinces of the Roman Empire, including Britannia, Gallia, Germania, and the Danubian frontier zones, in addition to peninsular Italy. Because the as represented low-value everyday currency, it possessed a notably long circulatory lifespan compared to silver denarii, which were more frequently hoarded or retired during subsequent debasements. Asses of Trajan remained in daily commercial circulation well into the reigns of Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, often showing severe surface wear and smoothing in secondary archaeological contexts. Site finds along the limes military settlements demonstrate that soldiers received divisional base-metal cash alongside precious metal pay to conduct transactions in local civilian markets (canabae). While hoard evidence from the Mediterranean basin typically favors gold and silver, urban excavations in Rome, Ostia, and northern European provincial capitals consistently recover worn examples of late Trajanic asses, attesting to their ubiquitous presence in the market economies of the high imperial period.

References

1. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II Trajan 675 (as). ric.2.tr.675_as
2. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II: Vespasian to Hadrian. p. 291, no. 675
3. Untersuchungen zur römischen Reichsprägung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil I: Die Reichsprägung zur Zeit des Traian. pp. 165-172
4. Die Reichsprägung des Kaisers Traianus (98-117) - Arma et Nummi (Moneta Imperii Romani 14). MIR 14, nos. 535-538