Trajan Bronze Sestertius, RIC II Trajan 388

Monetary Context and Imperial Ideology

The sestertius occupied a central position within the high imperial Roman monetary system established by Augustus. Valued at one quarter of a silver denarius or four copper asses, the sestertius functioned as the premier large-format base-metal denomination of the empire. Struck in orichalcum, a golden-toned copper alloy composed predominantly of copper and zinc, the coin offered an expansive physical canvas for imperial messaging and ideological self-representation. When Nerva died in late January AD 98, Marcus Ulpius Traianus acceded smoothly to the principate, having already been adopted as Caesar and granted tribunician power and imperium in late AD 97. Trajan remained on the northern frontier along the Rhine and Danube inspecting garrisons and securing the border throughout AD 98 and part of AD 99 before making his formal adventus into Rome. The mint at Rome continued active production during this period, striking large volumes of base-metal currency to meet military administrative costs, civic expenditures, and market liquidity demands across Italy and the western provinces. The issuance of RIC II Trajan 388 represented an immediate declaration of institutional stability, civil concord, and continuity between the newly established ruler and the Roman Senate.

Production Standards and Mint Attribution

The sestertii categorized under RIC II Trajan 388 were produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint in Rome. During the early imperial period, official brass sestertii and dupondii were struck at Rome under bureaucratic oversight associated with the Senate, reflected by the prominent inscription S C (Senatus Consulto) on the reverse field. Production relied on manual die pairing and hot-striking techniques, with blanks cast in open or two-part molds before striking. Sestertius flans of the late first century AD adhered to an average weight standard typically ranging between 24.0 and 28.5 grams, with overall flan diameters commonly falling between 32 and 35 millimeters. The alloy of the early Trajanic sestertius remained an orichalcum brass, distinguished visually and chemically from the pure red copper utilized for the as and quadrans. Surviving specimens show standard variations in die alignment, flan thickness, and slight weight dispersion typical of ancient mass coin manufacturing, where blanks were struck according to al-marco batch weight targets rather than strict piece-by-piece calibration. Dies were hand-engraved by imperial artisans whose portrait models adhered to the first official portrait types distributed from the capital.

Obverse Portraiture and Iconography

The obverse of RIC II Trajan 388 presents the right-facing head of Trajan wearing a laurel wreath, tied at the nape of the neck with ribbon ties extending downward. This portrait conforms to Trajan's earliest imperial numismatic likeness, sometimes classified in scholarship as his accession portrait or first portrait type. In this early iconographic scheme, the die cutters at Rome had limited direct personal access to the new emperor, who remained deployed along the Germanic frontier. Consequently, the earliest obverse dies retain elements reminiscent of late Flavian portraiture combined with the physiognomic conventions developed under Nerva, such as a prominent aquiline nose, firm jawline, and structured facial contours. Trajan's hair is combed forward in straight locks across the forehead beneath the laurel wreath, a stylistic hallmark that came to define his public iconography throughout his subsequent reign. The truncation of the neck is plain and bare, presenting the emperor without military cuirass or civilian drapery, emphasizing his traditional civic and magisterial standing before the citizens of Rome.

Reverse Typology and Visual Symbolism

The reverse of the coin features Concordia, the personification of civil, military, and political harmony, seated facing left on a backless chair or stool. She is draped in traditional stola and palla, with folds cascading across her torso and legs. In her right hand she extends a patera, a shallow sacrificial libation bowl, over a low lighted altar positioned to the left. In her left arm she cradles a double cornucopia, overflowing with the fruits of the earth. Concordia served as an essential iconographic motif during imperial transitions, symbolizing peaceful collaboration among the armed forces, the populace, the Senate, and the newly elevated princeps. The sacrificial act over the flaming altar emphasizes pious devotion to the gods (pietas) and the ratification of solemn vows ensuring stability for the state. The double cornucopia reinforces the tangible material prosperity and abundance anticipated from harmonious governance. Flanking the lower fields of the composition are the large letters S and C, denoting senatorial authorization for the issue.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The obverse inscription reads IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG GERM P M, running continuously clockwise along the outer border. The legend translates the official imperial nomenclature: Imperator Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus. By incorporating the name of Nerva, Trajan publicizes his formal adoption and legitimate claim to supreme authority. The victory title Germanicus, originally conferred upon Nerva and Trajan in late AD 97 after Roman operations against Germanic tribes on the Rhine, emphasizes his martial credibility. The inclusion of P M (Pontifex Maximus) marks his position as high priest of the state religion, a title assumed early in AD 98 following Nerva's death. The reverse inscription reads TR POT COS II, completed by the formula S C in the fields. The legend records Trajan's initial tenure of the tribunician power (Tribunicia Potestas) alongside his second consulship (Consul II), which he held throughout AD 98. The senatorial acronym S C (Senatus Consulto) confirms production under traditional senatorial oversight for brass and copper issues.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

In the standard classification established by Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham in Roman Imperial Coinage, this specific reverse and obverse combination is cataloged as RIC II Trajan 388. In Bernhard Woytek's comprehensive monograph Die Reichspragung des Kaisers Traianus (MIR 14), early Trajanic bronze types bearing the consular title COS II are securely assigned to the years AD 98 and 99. Trajan entered his second consulship on January 1, AD 98, alongside Nerva, and retained the title COS II until assuming his third consulship on January 1, AD 100 (COS III). Consequently, coins inscribed TR POT COS II without higher consular counts must date within this narrow two-year window. Minor stylistic and epigraphic variants exist across the dies of RIC 388, including slight differences in the spacing of the obverse legend, the profile of the lighted altar, and the rendering of the backless chair. However, the essential typological program remained strictly regulated across the workshop divisions (officinae) operating at Rome during this opening phase of the reign.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Wear Patterns

Sestertii of Trajan struck in AD 98 and 99 circulated widely across the administrative heartland of Italy as well as throughout the western and Danubian provinces. As the premier large base-metal coin, sestertii experienced vigorous, prolonged commercial exchange. Due to the high purchasing power of bronze denominations relative to minor daily market needs, sestertii often remained in active circulation for decades. Hoard evidence from western Europe, including site finds in Britain, Gaul, the German frontiers, and Hispania, demonstrates that early Trajanic brasses frequently circulated alongside Flavian, Nervan, and later Antonine issues well into the late second and early third centuries AD. Because of extended circulation, many extant specimens show moderate to heavy friction wear, flattening the fine details of the imperial wreath, hair locks, and the draped surfaces of Concordia. Surviving examples frequently exhibit rich brown, green, or olive patinas resulting from chemical interaction with varied burial soils across the territories of the former Roman Empire.

References

1. Catalogue of the Roman Coins in the British Museum: Vol. III. Introduction to Trajan's Bronze Coinage
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. 147-149
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II Trajan 388. ric.2.tr.388
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II: Vespasian to Hadrian. pp. 273-274, no. 388
5. Die Reichspragung des Kaisers Traianus (98-117), Moneta Imperii Romani 14. Type 54a / COS II bronze