Trajan Silver Denarius RIC II Trajan 796

Monetary Context

During the mid-reign of Trajan, the Roman imperial mint undertook an extensive program of recoinage. As recorded in both historical traditions and numismatic patterns, older, worn Republican and early imperial silver coins circulating in the empire were systematically withdrawn, melted down, and re-struck. This policy was facilitated by the massive influx of precious metals following the conquest of Dacia in AD 106. In conjunction with this demonetization and reform of circulating silver, Trajan issued a notable series of restored coins (nummi restituti) in gold and silver. RIC II Trajan 796 belongs to this distinctive class of restored denarii. Rather than merely supplying currency for everyday transactions, restored denarii highlighted the institutional memory of the Roman state. By selecting celebrated Republican denarii for re-issue, the imperial administration preserved ancestral memory while assimilating the prestigious heritage of the Republic into Trajan's own imperial persona.

Production and Mints

The issue catalogued as RIC II Trajan 796 was produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint in Rome. Die preparation for Trajan's restitution series required exceptional craftsmanship, as the mint engravers intentionally replicated the stylistic conventions and iconographic compositions of century-old Republican models while adhering to early second-century Roman imperial mint standards. The standard silver denarius under Trajan was struck on a weight standard averaging roughly 3.15 to 3.30 grams, with a silver fineness of approximately 89 to 90 percent. Unlike original Republican denarii, which frequently featured variable flans and distinct Republican engraving styles, Trajan's restored pieces were struck on more uniform, round imperial flans with well-centered dies and imperial lettering styles.

Obverse Design and Iconography

The obverse of RIC II Trajan 796 depicts the veiled and draped bust of the goddess Vesta facing right. This design accurately revives the obverse created around 55 BC by the moneyer Quintus Cassius Longinus (Crawford 428/1). Vesta was the guardian deity of the domestic hearth and the perpetual fire of Rome, closely linked with public welfare and the survival of the state. Her veil symbolizes her sacred purity and role as a matronly patroness. In reproducing this classic design, the imperial die-engravers preserved the traditional rendering of the deity, presenting an intentional bridge to the venerated religious history of the late Republic.

Reverse Design and Iconography

The reverse displays a detailed front view of the Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum, rendered with six columns and topped by a crowning figure or statue. The architectural scene is flanked by two prominent voting implements: a voting urn on the left and a rectangular voting tablet on the right inscribed with the letters A and C. These elements recall the famous trial of the Vestal Virgins in 113 BC, presided over by Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla, an ancestor of the Republican moneyer who had introduced the secret ballot (lex Cassia tabellaria) in 137 BC. The letters A and C represent Absolvo (I acquit) and Condemno (I condemn). On RIC II Trajan 796, these ancestral civic symbols are integrated into the imperial framework by Trajan's restitution legend, framing the sacred temple within the protective authority of the emperor.

Legends and Inscriptions

The inscriptions across RIC II Trajan 796 present a deliberate contrast between Republican moneyer attribution and Trajanic imperial titicature. The obverse retains the Republican legend Q CASSIVS VEST, reading Quintus Cassius Vesta, explicitly identifying both the original magistrate Quintus Cassius Longinus and the divine subject. The reverse bears Trajan's restoration formula: IMP CAES TRAIAN AVG GER DAC P P REST. This expands to Imperator Caesar Traianus Augustus Germanicus Dacicus, Pater Patriae, Restituit ('Imperator Caesar Trajan Augustus, conqueror of the Germans, conqueror of the Dacians, Father of his Country, restored [this coin]'). The inclusion of the titles GER (Germanicus) and DAC (Dacicus) confirms the issue post-dates the First Dacian War, while REST definitively categorizes the issue as an official imperial restitution.

Types and Chronology

Trajan's restitution coinage forms a distinct, finite series within the wider corpus of second-century Roman numismatics. Modern studies, notably by Bernhard Woytek and Holger Komnick, date the primary striking of Trajan's restored silver and gold issues to the period circa AD 107 to 113. This chronological placement aligns with the withdrawal of worn pre-Neronian and Republican silver noted by the historian Cassius Dio following the conclusion of the Dacian Wars. RIC II Trajan 796 is uniquely identified by its exact combination of the Q. Cassius Vesta design and Trajan's restoration legend, distinguishing it from regular denarii of Trajan as well as original Republican strikings of Crawford 428/1.

Circulation and Monetary Function

Unlike the massive regular issues of Trajanic denarii that supported military expenditure and daily commerce across the provinces, restored denarii like RIC II Trajan 796 were issued in substantially smaller numbers. Hoard evidence indicates that restored denarii circulated alongside standard imperial denarii, passing at the same tariffed value of sixteen asses. However, their lower mintage figures and high commemorative value suggest they may have served a dual role as circulating currency and presentation pieces or commemorative tokens marking the reform of the currency and honoring Rome's historical memory.

References

1. Roman Republican Coinage. p. 451, no. 428/1
2. Die Restitutionsmunzen der fruhen Kaiserzeit. pp. 142-168
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II Trajan 796. ric.2.tr.796
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II: Vespasian to Hadrian. p. 312, no. 796
5. Die Reichspragung des Kaisers Traianus (98-117) (MIR 14). Moneta Imperii Romani 14