Trajan Sestertius RIC II Trajan 399

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

In the early Roman Imperial monetary system reformed under Augustus and consolidated by the Flavians, the sestertius formed the cornerstone of civic commerce and official state messaging. Valued at four asses or two dupondii, and constituting one-quarter of a silver denarius, the sestertius was the largest everyday base-metal denomination circulating in the empire. Its heavy planchet and substantial surface area rendered it the principal medium for imperial visual communication, circulating far beyond Rome into urban centers and military frontiers. When Trajan assumed power in late January of 98 AD following the death of Nerva, the imperial treasury relied on the regular production of these prominent orichalcum pieces to establish the public image of the new administration. The issue of RIC II Trajan 399 emerged in an era marked by the consolidation of imperial finances after the fiscal strains of the late Flavian period and Nerva's brief reign. Struck during Trajan's second consulship in 98 and 99 AD, this type functioned not merely as large-denomination spending money for commercial transactions and state disbursements, but as a deliberate instrument of political reassurance. By emphasizing Concordia, the imperial authority sought to project internal harmony between the Senate, the civilian populace, and the Rhine legions that formed the backbone of Trajan's initial support.

Mint Organization and Production Techniques

All official specimens of RIC II Trajan 399 were manufactured at the imperial mint in Rome. During this era, the metropolitan mint operated with an established hierarchy of specialized artisans, including scalptores who carved the coin dies in intaglio, flatuarii who cast the flans, and signatores who oversaw the striking process. The flans for these sestertii were cast from orichalcum, an alloy predominantly composed of copper and zinc, which gave newly struck pieces a distinct, bright golden appearance easily distinguished from the reddish pure copper used for the smaller as. Flan preparation involved pouring molten alloy into open or two-part moulds, leaving slight bevels or runner marks that were often smoothed before striking. Striking was performed manually by hammer crews using heavy bronze or iron dies. Because sestertius flans were substantial, often requiring multiple forceful strikes to bring the high-relief obverse portrait and intricate reverse details into full register, slight die bounce or double striking occasionally occurs in the series. Surviving dies demonstrate a high level of technical mastery, maintaining consistent central alignment and crisp letter-cutting. Although average weights clustered around 26 to 27 grams, individual specimens display normal manufacturing variances common to ancient mass production, where batch weights rather than individual flan weights were regulated by mint magistrates.

Obverse Portraiture and Style

The obverse of RIC II Trajan 399 features a right-facing, laureate head of Trajan. Executed in the realistic tradition that emerged at the conclusion of the first century AD, the portrait captures Trajan's distinctive physiognomy: a broad, low forehead, straight hair brushed forward in flat locks, a prominent nose, firm mouth, and strong, square jaw. The laurel wreath, secured behind the head with ribbon ties trailing down the neck, serves as the ancient mark of imperial triumph and civil authority. Stylistically, this early portrait group reflects a transitional phase in Trajanic numismatics. The earliest dies produced in 98 AD frequently exhibit subtle stylistic carryovers from the portraiture of Nerva, showing slightly sharper angles and leaner facial contours. As the mint personnel established Trajan's definitive iconographic formula between late 98 and 99 AD, the portraiture transitioned toward the idealized, classicizing sobriety that would define the middle period of his principate. Die variations across this issue reveal slight differences in the curvature of the wreath ribbons, the treatment of the hair strands above the brow, and the truncation of the neck, but the essential posture and regal bearing remain strictly uniform.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse design of RIC II Trajan 399 portrays Concordia, the divine personification of agreement, unity, and civic peace. She is depicted draped in traditional Roman stola and palla, seated facing left on a chair crafted without a back, often resembling a low seat or folding stool. In her extended right hand, Concordia holds a patera, a shallow libation bowl used in religious ceremonies, from which she sacrifices over a small lighted altar set before her. In her left arm, she cradles a double cornucopia brimming with fruits and agricultural produce. Every element of this composition carried explicit political weight for contemporary Roman viewers. The act of sacrifice underscored the emperor's piety and devotion to ritual duty, while the flaming altar signified the active, perpetual nature of this religious covenant. The double cornucopia served as an unmistakable guarantee of abundance, prosperity, and reliable food supply stemming from mutual cooperation. Flanking the seated figure in the field are the large letters S and C, denoting Senatus Consulto. This abbreviation confirmed that the coinage was produced under the traditional authority of the Senate, formalizing an atmosphere of constitutional balance and mutual respect after years of friction under previous imperial regimes.

Epigraphy and Titulature

The legends on RIC II Trajan 399 provide explicit chronological benchmarks and articulate the legal framework of Trajan's early rule. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG GERM P M, an abbreviation for Imperator Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus. This comprehensive formulation records Trajan's supreme military command, his adoption by Nerva, his revered imperial title Augustus, the victory title Germanicus awarded in late 97 AD during his command on the Rhine, and his assumption of the chief priesthood of Rome in 98 AD. The reverse legend is inscribed TR POT COS II P P S C, standing for Tribunicia Potestate, Consul Secundum, Pater Patriae, Senatus Consulto. The tribunician power formed the civilian cornerstone of imperial rule, granting the princeps personal sacrosanctity and legislative authority. The consular title COS II anchors the issue firmly to Trajan's second consulship, which commenced on January 1 of 98 AD and concluded prior to his third consulship on January 1 of 100 AD. The title Pater Patriae, Father of the Country, was accepted by Trajan during 98 AD after initial reluctance, reflecting his formal embrace of paternal responsibility toward the Roman citizens. The epigraphy is rendered in clean, monumental Roman capitals, with well-spaced lettering conforming to the circular perimeter of the beaded border.

Typology, Sequencing, and Variations

Within the broader cataloguing of Trajan's coinage, RIC II Trajan 399 belongs to the initial group of bronze issues struck between early 98 and the close of 99 AD. The type is categorized in modern corpora by the specific conjunction of Trajan's second consulship with the seated Concordia reverse. While closely related sestertius issues of this period share the same obverse legend, they present alternative reverse deities such as Pax, Justitia, or Annona, each emphasizing different facets of the early imperial agenda. Minor die variations occur within RIC II Trajan 399, primarily involving the precise detailing of Concordia's seat, the presence or absence of decorative paneling on the altar, and slight shifts in legend breaks around the coin rim. Bernhard Woytek's systematic corpus of Trajan's coinage (MIR 14) groups this issue within the early Rome mint sequence prior to the massive numismatic mobilization for the First Dacian War. The type must be distinguished from later sestertii where Trajan bears the titles COS III or COS IIII, as well as subsequent issues where Concordia is shown standing or holding a single horn of plenty. Because the consular designation remained COS II throughout both 98 and 99 AD, scholars recognize this issue as a unified typological series spanning those two operational mint years.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Evidence

As an essential bronze denomination, the sestertius was an active workhorse of regional trade, tax collection, and military pay across the empire. Archaeological findspots across Italy, the Rhine-Danube limes, and Gaul demonstrate that sestertii of the late first and early second centuries circulated vigorously for many decades. Due to their durable orichalcum composition, coins of RIC II Trajan 399 remained in active circulation long after the initial issue period of 98 to 99 AD, frequently appearing in mixed second-century hoards alongside issues of the Flavians, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius. Excavated specimens often show moderate to heavy surface wear, attesting to years of frequent exchange. In peripheral frontier zones such as Britannia and upper Germania, base-metal pieces were retained in commerce until their designs were almost entirely smooth, while domestic Italian hoards tend to preserve higher-grade examples that were deposited during periods of personal hoarding or civic instability. Countermarks are uncommon on this specific early issue, confirming that the initial circulation within Italy and the major western provinces followed standard fiscal pathways without emergency regional revalidations. The broad distribution of the type underscores the effectiveness of Rome's central mint in supplying uniform civic currency throughout the Mediterranean world.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. 148-150, nos. 710-712
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II Trajan 399. ric.2.tr.399
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II: Vespasian to Hadrian. p. 277, no. 399
4. Untersuchungen zur romischen Reichspragung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil I: Die Reichspragung zur Zeit des Traian. pp. 52-58, no. 315
5. Die Reichspragung des Kaisers Traianus (98-117) (MIR 14). pp. 201-205, no. 55a