Trajan AE Sestertius, Rome, AD 103-111, SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, RIC 483

Trajan, sestertius, bronze, reign AD 98–117, Rome mint, struck AD 103–111; 26.3 g; 33 mm. Obverse: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P; laureate head of Trajan right, slight drapery on left shoulder. Reverse: S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C; Roma, helmeted and in military dress, standing left, holding Victory in extended right hand and a reversed vertical spear in left; S C in field.

Struck on a large flan with the typical heavy fabric of early Trajanic bronzes; die axis about 6h. Reference: RIC II Trajan 483 (sestertius). This type marks the Senate’s bestowal of the title Optimo Principi on Trajan, an honor first recorded in AD 103 after success in the Dacian Wars. The legend S P Q R emphasizes senatorial endorsement, while Roma with Victory and spear advertises Rome’s military supremacy under the emperor. Sestertii were the principal high-value bronze coins of the period and carried imperial messages widely across the empire.