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Last purchase of 2014: Trajan's Column denarius
TIF2
Posts: 233 ✭
Trajan. CE 98-117. Rome mint, CE 114-115. AR denarius, 18 mm, 3.7 gm. IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC. Laureate and draped bust right / P M TR P COS VI P P S P Q R. Trajan’s column surmounted by statue of Trajan, holding patera and scepter; two eagles at base. RIC II 35
One of the most desirable issues for Trajan collectors, this denarius depicts the triumphal column of Trajan, an incredible and still-standing tribute to the emperor's successful Dacian campaigns of CE 101-2 and 105-6.
About the column
- • Completed in CE 113
- • Funded by the spoils of the Dacian wars
- • 35 meters tall (125 feet), including the base
- • The shaft is composed of 20 drums of Carrera marble, each ~3.7 meters in diameter (11 feet)
- • A spiral staircase within leads to a viewing platform
- • The bas relief friezes spiral 23 times up the column and has 155 scenes with more than 2600 carved figures. Unwound, the frieze measures 190 meters (625 feet) in length.
- • The story of both Dacian wars are shown in the friezes. The first war starts at the bottom, a beautiful carving of Victory separates the two stories.
- • Trajan's and Plotina's ashes were interred in the column's base (since removed)
- • The topping statue of Trajan, lost in the middle ages, was replaced by Pope Sixtus V in 1587. St. Peter's statue remains atop the column to this day.
How did they lift the 32-ton marble drums that high?
Probably by something similar to this lifting tower:
Where's Trajan?
Trajan appears 59 times in the friezes. He is distinctive and the carving realistic enough to pick him out, although with 2600 figures to sort through it's a bit like finding Waldo.
A fun and fanciful tour book story
"The column's survival was largely thanks to the intervention of Pope Gregory the Great (reigned 590-604). He was so moved by a relief showing Trajan helping a woman whose son had been killed that he begged God to release the emperor's soul from hell. God duly appeared to the pope to say that Trajan had been rescued, but asked him not to pray for the souls of any more pagans.
According to legend, when Trajan's ashes were exhumed his skull and tongue were not only intact, but his tongue told of his release from hell.
The land around the column was then declared sacred and the column itself was spared." --ItalyGuides.it
Further reading
Dartmouth.edu, detailed studies of the column
United Nations of Roma Victrix, overview of the Dacian wars
Trajan's Column iPad app
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Post your Trajan's column coins
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Comments
2) Beautiful coin and write-up
3) You are awesome.
There's not too many coins with monuments on them that the monument still exists today. In fact, I can't think of any others at the moment even though there must be others.
World Collection
British Collection
German States Collection
determined: There are some others which still stand but not many: the Colosseum, Arch of Septimius Severus, and aqueducts from the "AQVA MAR" Republican denarius are the first ones that come to mind.
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
<< <i>Pardon me for asking, but what are their grades? The OP coin looks VF while the near-twin looks Good VF to my slightly educated eyes. (I'm asking because I'm trying to learn.) >>
I agree with your grades. The auction house I bought mine from, and the sale it came from before then, both said it was EF, but I think that's a bit optimistic.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
<< <i>Fantastic issue and post. >>
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
@SmEagle... excellent example
@EVP... the listing called mine a VF and that seems about right, although honestly I don't know much about grading.