Trajan Orichalcum Sestertius, RIC II Trajan 571

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

The sestertius stood as the principal token currency unit within the early Roman Imperial monetary system established by Augustus. Struck in orichalcum, a golden-toned copper-zinc brass alloy, the sestertius held a nominal tariff of four asses, two dupondii, or one-quarter of a silver denarius. Because of its large diameter and substantial weight, typically fluctuating between twenty-four and twenty-eight grams, the sestertius was both an indispensable instrument for high-value domestic cash transactions and the most visually prominent medium for imperial communication. Under Trajan, who reigned from AD 98 to 117, monetary output accelerated dramatically, supported by the massive influx of precious metals following the conquest of Dacia. While gold aurei and silver denarii sustained military expenditures and external diplomacy, base-metal coinage saturated Italian and western provincial markets. The issue of RIC II Trajan 571 functioned within this vigorous economic environment, distributing civic pride through everyday commerce and reinforcing the mutual bond between the princeps, the Senate, and the Roman populace.

Production Standards and Minting

All regular imperial issues of RIC II Trajan 571 were struck exclusively at the principal mint in Rome. Production of large orichalcum flans required casting round blanks in open or bivalve molds followed by rigorous manual hammering between engraved iron or bronze dies. The physical properties of orichalcum required striking when hot or carefully annealing blanks to prevent brittle fractures along the rim. Die alignment on Trajanic sestertii is predominantly adjusted to a six o'clock die axis, reflecting high administrative discipline within the officinae of the urban mint. Although nominal weight standards targeted around twenty-seven grams, surviving specimens demonstrate considerable variation across a broader range, which was typical for base-metal token denominations struck al marco. The master engravers responsible for the reverse dies of this issue achieved remarkable technical proficiency, compressing an expansive multi-hectare architectural complex into an intricate circular die measuring approximately thirty-two to thirty-five millimeters across.

Obverse Iconography and Variations

The obverse of RIC II Trajan 571 features a right-facing, mature portrait of Emperor Trajan crowned with a laurel wreath. Trajanic portraiture broke decisively with the exaggerated verism of the Flavians and the frail dignity of Nerva, cultivating instead a sober, square-jawed, athletic appearance that embodied martial resolve, civilian modesty, and imperial vigor. Engravers meticulously rendered Trajan's characteristic low, straight-combed hair falling across the forehead, prominent brow, and firm jawline. Minor die variations exist within the type, most notably regarding drapery: while the primary design features a bare bust with laurel wreath, select dies introduce an aegis over the left shoulder, associating the ruler with the divine protective mantle of Jupiter and Minerva. The portrait is encircled by a continuous imperial titulature running clockwise along the beaded rim, reinforcing the emperor's legitimate constitutional and military standing.

Reverse Design: The Circus Maximus

The reverse presents a celebrated architectural rendering of the Circus Maximus viewed from an elevated oblique perspective, combining exterior and interior structural elements into a coherent compositional whole. The design displays the monumental exterior colonnade of the arena facade, often articulated in two tiers of arches, encircling the vast interior grandstands. Along the central longitudinal barrier, known as the spina or euripus, the die engraver depicted the towering Egyptian obelisk originally brought to Rome by Augustus, flanked by small shrines, statues, and pavilions. At each end of the spina stand the metae, the conical three-part turning posts around which charioteers navigated perilous turns during races. Above the arena stands, the triumphal entrance archway and imperial viewing box (pulvinar) are occasionally suggested by minute structural flourishes. Through this dynamic spatial compression, the design conveyed the breathtaking scale and opulence of Trajan's reconstructed venue, which seated over one hundred and fifty thousand spectators and symbolized civic harmony through grand public entertainment.

Epigraphy and Imperial Titulature

The epigraphy of RIC II Trajan 571 documents the official ideological language of Trajan's middle reign. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, expanding to Imperatori Caesari Nervae Traiano Augusto Germanico Dacico, Pontifici Maximo, Tribunicia Potestate, Consuli Quinto, Patri Patriae. This sequence records Trajan's status as the adopted son of Nerva, his victory titles Germanicus and Dacicus, his position as chief priest, his annual tribunician authority, his fifth tenure of the consulship, and his designation as Father of his Country. The reverse legend bears the formula S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, expanding to Senatus Populusque Romanus Optimo Principi (The Senate and the Roman People to the Best Princeps). Awarded by the Senate around AD 103, the title Optimus Princeps celebrated Trajan's moral excellence, moderation, and public generosity. In the exergue or field, the abbreviation S C (Senatus Consulto) denotes that the bronze coin was struck by decree of the Senate, maintaining the traditional division of authority over monetary metals.

Typology and Chronological Placement

RIC II Trajan 571 belongs to the extensive coinage struck during Trajan's fifth consulship, which commenced on January 1, AD 103, and ended when he assumed his sixth consulship on January 1, AD 112. The issue is universally catalogued under the broader commemorative series celebrating monumental civic building projects in Rome, which included the Forum of Trajan, the Basilica Ulpia, the Aqua Traiana, and the restored Circus Maximus. Trajan undertook the complete overhaul of the Circus Maximus following the instability and fire damage of previous decades, adding thousands of marble seats and rebuilding the imperial pulvinar so that the emperor sat in full view of the assembled citizens. Bernhard Woytek's modern die study of Trajanic coinage refines the production period of the Circus Maximus bronze issues, placing their primary output between approximately AD 104 and 107, coinciding directly with the completion and formal dedication of the reconstructed complex. RIC II Trajan 571 is distinct from contemporary dupondii and smaller denominations bearing similar motifs by its heavier orichalcum flan, full titular obverse formula, and specific reverse die arrangements.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Survival

Sestertii of the Optimus Princeps period circulated extensively throughout the Roman Empire, remaining active in Western European currency pools for over a century. Because brass sestertii suffered continuous surface abrasion, surviving specimens frequently show considerable wear, which smooths the delicate architectural detail of the Circus spina and exterior arches. Archaeological excavations and hoards from Britain, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and the Danubian provinces regularly contain worn Trajanic sestertii alongside issues of Hadrian and the Antonine emperors, testifying to their durable role in everyday commerce. Unworn or finely preserved examples of RIC II Trajan 571 are scarce, as the broad surfaces and high relief made the type particularly vulnerable to friction. Over the centuries, these coins developed distinctive patinas ranging from dark olive green to brown and reddish cuprite, which often accentuate the architectural contours of the Circus die engraving.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. 179-181
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II Trajan 571. ric.2.tr.571
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II: Vespasian to Hadrian. pp. 284-285, no. 571
4. Die Reichspragung des Kaisers Traianus (98-117 n. Chr.). MIR 14, pp. 320-324