Trajan Orichalcum Dupondius, RIC II Trajan 674 (dupondius)

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

The monetary system of the High Roman Empire operated on a tri-metallic structure established under Augustus and maintained through the early second century AD. Within this framework, the dupondius occupied a vital intermediate position in retail transactions and daily exchanges. Valued at two asses, half of a sestertius, or one-eighth of a silver denarius, the denomination bridged the gap between low-value copper fractions and the larger, prestige-laden brass sestertii. Under the reign of Trajan (AD 98 to 117), imperial base-metal coinages continued to be struck on a massive scale to facilitate civic commerce, military remuneration, and state expenditures throughout the Mediterranean. Dupondii were conventionally manufactured from orichalcum, a golden-yellow copper-zinc alloy (brass), whereas the contemporary as was minted from relatively unalloyed red copper. Because physical wear, patination, and variable alloy mixtures could obscure the visual distinction between newly struck brass and copper, the Roman mint employed a clear iconographic distinction: the emperor wore a radiate solar crown on the dupondius, while he appeared laureate or bare-headed on the as. RIC II Trajan 674 (dupondius) conforms to this standard denominational practice. The inclusion of the letters S C (Senatus Consulto) on the reverse underscored the traditional, constitutional role of the Senate in sanctioning the production of base-metal coinage, even as fiscal control rested firmly in the hands of the princeps.

Production Standards and Mint Attribution

The manufacture of RIC II Trajan 674 (dupondius) took place exclusively at the primary imperial mint in Rome. During the late period of Trajan's reign, the capital mint operated multiple specialized workshops (officinae) capable of striking millions of base-metal and precious-metal coins annually. The metallurgical composition of the flans was orichalcum, containing an intentional admixture of zinc to copper, although individual melts could display varying levels of zinc content and trace impurities such as lead, tin, or iron. In terms of weight standards, late Trajanic dupondii generally adhered to a theoretical target range between 11.5 and 13.5 grams, with an average module diameter between 26 and 28 millimeters. However, striking tolerances in the Roman mint were relatively broad for token and base-metal denominations compared to precious-metal aurei and denarii. Individual surviving specimens can range from under 11 grams to more than 14 grams without indicating separate weight standards. Blanks were cast in individual molds or prepared from cast strips, heated, and hand-struck between engraved bronze dies, resulting in characteristic die-axis alignments, typically aligned at either 6 o'clock or 12 o'clock.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC II Trajan 674 (dupondius) features a mature, right-facing portrait bust of Trajan. The emperor is depicted wearing the radiate crown of Sol, whose projecting spikes symbolize divine solar radiance while serving as the overt numismatic indicator of the dupondius denomination. In this specific type, the bust is draped, showing the fabric of the paludamentum or military cloak gathered about the shoulders, presenting the emperor simultaneously as supreme commander and civil magistrate. Artistically, the portrait belongs to Trajan's late imperial style, characterized by realistic yet monumental modeling. The features include his distinctive straight-cropped hair combed forward across the forehead, a firm jawline, aquiline nose, and deeply set eyes conveying gravitas and auctoritas. Unlike the idealized classicism favored in earlier Augustan art, Trajan's late portraiture emphasizes seasoned military leadership and sober governance, reflective of his extensive campaigns in the Danubian basin and the Near East.

Reverse Design: Felicitas and Roman Prosperity

The reverse of the type features the standing personification of Felicitas, facing left. She is depicted draped in a traditional stola and mantle. In her right hand, Felicitas elevates a caduceus, the ancient heraldic staff associated with Mercury, which in Roman imperial imagery represented peace, orderly commerce, and harmonious diplomatic concord. Cradled in her left arm is a cornucopiae (horn of plenty), overflowing with the fruits of the earth, symbolizing boundless agricultural abundance and economic prosperity. Flanking the figure of Felicitas in the left and right fields are the large letters S and C. The personification of Felicitas was a staple of imperial propaganda, chosen to reassure the populace that the blessings of domestic tranquility, commercial vitality, and divine favor remained secure under the emperor's stewardship. Struck during the years of Trajan's expansive Parthian campaigns, the image offered a reassuring balance between foreign conquest and domestic well-being, projecting an image of an empire that prospered through just and successful rule.

Epigraphy and Titulature Analysis

The inscriptions on RIC II Trajan 674 (dupondius) reflect the complete, mature titulature of Trajan's late reign. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P, rendered in the dative case (Traiano Optimo), signifying that the coinage or the honors represented were formally dedicated to the emperor. Transcribed and expanded, the legend reads: Imperatori Caesari Nervae Traiano Optimo Augusto Germanico Dacico, Pontifici Maximo, Tribunicia Potestate, Consuli Sextum, Patri Patriae. Crucially, the presence of the title OPTIMO provides a definitive chronological marker, as the Senate formally decreed the title Optimus Princeps to Trajan in the autumn of AD 114. The titles GER (Germanicus) and DAC (Dacicus) celebrate his earlier triumphs along the Rhine and the conquest of Dacia. COS VI records his sixth consulship, assumed on January 1, AD 112, while P M (Pontifex Maximus), TR P (Tribunicia Potestate), and P P (Pater Patriae) affirm his supreme religious, civil, and paternal authority. The reverse inscription is equally significant, reading SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS across the peripheral legend, combined with S C in the fields. The explicit naming of the Senate and the Roman people highlights the constitutional harmony between the princeps and the traditional civic bodies of Rome, framing the peace and prosperity embodied by Felicitas as a joint achievement of the state.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the standard classification scheme of The Roman Imperial Coinage, this issue is designated as RIC II Trajan 674 under the dupondius denomination. Bernhard Woytek's comprehensive corpus of Trajanic coinage, Moneta Imperii Romani 14 (MIR 14), classifies this type within Trajan's final striking period (Period 14, covering AD 114 to 117). This classification is anchored by the addition of the title Optimus in AD 114 and the terminus of Trajan's death in August AD 117. Within this chronological group, the reverse motif of Felicitas holding a caduceus and cornucopiae appears across multiple denominations, including sestertii, dupondii, and asses, demonstrating a coordinated thematic emission. In the dupondius series, the specific pairing of the radiate and draped bust variant with the reverse legend SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS distinguishes RIC 674 from earlier issues where the reverse legend listed Trajan's consulship or Dacian titles. Minor die variations exist in portrait truncation and the precise draping of the bust, but all belong to the same core catalogue type.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Context

Base-metal dupondii struck at Rome circulated widely across the western and central provinces of the Roman Empire, including Italia, the Danubian frontier, Gallia, Hispania, and Britannia. Because of their intermediate purchasing power, dupondii were heavily utilized in daily market exchanges, payment of military allowances, and municipal tax collections. Archaeological finds from military camps along the Rhine and Danube frontiers demonstrate that Trajanic aes coinage remained in active circulation for decades after his death, frequently continuing to pass from hand to hand well into the Antonine and Severan periods. Due to prolonged circulation, surviving specimens of RIC II Trajan 674 (dupondius) often exhibit moderate to severe surface wear, softening the relief of the radiate crown and the fine details of Felicitas' attributes. Soil conditions in terrestrial findspots commonly produced dark green, brown, or black patinas over the original brass alloy, sometimes accompanied by pitting or chemical leaching of zinc. Hoard evidence and site finds confirm that while dupondii were less numerous than asses or denarii in domestic small-change deposits, they formed a resilient and ubiquitous part of the empire's circulating currency pool.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum (BMCRE), Vol. III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. 215-225
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II Trajan 674 (dupondius). ric.2.tr.674_dupondius
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II: Vespasian to Hadrian. p. 290, no. 674
4. Die Reichsprägung des Kaisers Traianus (98-117) (MIR 14). Moneta Imperii Romani 14, type 538