Obverse: Portrait of the Emperor Crowned in a
Laurel Wreath
Reverse: Fortuna Enthroned, Holding a Rudder
and Cornucopia
Trajan was born in 53 A.D. to a family of Roman
origin residing in Itálica (near modern Sevilla,
Spain). Conqueror of Dacia (modern Romania)
and Mesopotamia, he ruled the Roman Empire
from the year 98 until his death in 117. He was
trained as a youth in the Roman army and took
an active part in campaigns in Spain, Syria, and
Germany during the reigns of the emperors Titus
and Domitian. Trajan achieved distinction as a
general of outstanding ability, and in 91 he was
elected a consul. In 97, he was adopted by
Emperor Nerva as his colleague and successor.
On the death of Nerva the following year, Trajan,
who was at that time inspecting the Roman
frontier in Germany, became the sole ruler of the
empire.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. Numerous monuments
scattered throughout the Roman Empire today
bear testimony to Trajan’s reign. However,
perhaps no ruin is as personal and intimate as
this coin. Although simple in form and function,
void of any grandeur or pomposity, this coin is
not a stagnant memorial but an active artifact of
a leader passed from the hands of civilization to
civilization, from generation to generation.
- (C.3063)
|
