Nomos 3

Trajan. AD 98-117. Denarius (Silver, 3.41 g 6), Rome, 114. IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P Laureate and draped bust of Trajan to right. Rev. S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI View of the Column of Trajan: showing his statue on top, the two eagles at its base, and the entrance below. Bauten 50. BMC 452. BN 746. Cohen 558. Hill 618. RIC 292. Sharp, toned and most attractive. Good extremely fine.

From the East Side collection, Switzerland.

Trajan’s column, which still stands and is one of the greatest existing ancient sculptural friezes, was built to commemorate Trajan’s Dacian Wars, it was finished in 113 and commemorated by coins struck in 113/114. The sculptural program, which illustrates the campaigns of 101-102 and 105-106, contains nearly 2500 figures (the emperor himself appears 59 times among his troops). In Roman times the sculptures could have been viewed from the balconies on the buildings at the northern end of Trajan’s Forum. The statue of Trajan that was originally on top of the column was probably melted down and turned into church ornaments at some point during medieval times, but in 1587 Pope Sixtus V topped the column with the bronze statue of St. Peter that still stands there.