RIC II Trajan 642
Record status
Individual type · research required
Issuing entity
Roman EmpireRIC II Trajan 642. Denomination: Sestertius. Authority: Trajan. Mint: Rome. The obverse shows bust of Trajan, laureate, draped, right, with the legend IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P.
The reverse shows trajan, laureate, in military dress, standing front, head right, holding spear and parazonium; on ground reclining figures of Armenia, Tigris and Euphrates, with the legend ARMENIA ET MESOPOTAMIA IN POTESTATEM P R REDACTAE S C.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 2
- Photograph views
- 22
- Catalogue references
- 1
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Struck at the Rome mint, this bronze sestertius commemorates Trajan's eastern conquests, which concluded with the incorporation of Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Assyria as Roman provinces. The reverse design features the emperor in military dress holding a spear and parazonium, accompanied by reclining personifications of Armenia and the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, framed by the inscription "ARMENIA ET MESOPOTAMIA IN POTESTATEM P R REDACTAE S C".
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Bronze
- Denomination
- Sestertius
Technical characteristics
- Mint
- Rome
- Authority
- Trajan
Design
- Obverse
- Bust of Trajan, laureate, draped, right
- Reverse
- Trajan, laureate, in military dress, standing front, head right, holding spear and parazonium; on ground reclining figures of Armenia, Tigris and Euphrates
- Obverse legend
- IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P
- Reverse legend
- ARMENIA ET MESOPOTAMIA IN POTESTATEM P R REDACTAE S C
Identification
- Type reference
- RIC II Trajan 642
- Denomination and metal
- Sestertius, Bronze
- Obverse legend to match
- IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P
- Reverse legend to match
- ARMENIA ET MESOPOTAMIA IN POTESTATEM P R REDACTAE S C
- Source note
- Type description from the American Numismatic Society's Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE); individual specimens differ in die, flan size, weight and wear, and legend breaks may vary.
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Recorded
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Recorded
- Weight
- Research required
- Mint or printer
- Recorded
- Mint or printer mark
- Research required
- Catalogue reference
- Recorded
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
- RIC / OCREric.2.tr.642
Research required
- Editorial verification required.
- Weight, diameter and mint marks require specimen-level evidence.
- Museum specimen photographs are linked by the source; local photographs and reuse rights remain unverified.