Trajan, 98-117

Trajan (Latin: Imperator Caesar Nerva Traianus Divi Nervae filius Augustus; September 18, 53 – August 8, 117 AD) was Roman emperor from 98 AD until his death in 117 AD. Officially declared by the Senate optimus princeps ("the best ruler"), Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presided over the greatest military expansion in Roman history, leading the empire to attain its maximum territorial extent by the time of his death. He is also known for his philanthropic rule, overseeing extensive public building programs and implementing social welfare policies, which earned him his enduring reputation as the second of the Five Good Emperors who presided over an era of peace and prosperity in the Mediterranean world.

The monetary art under Trajan fails to show signs of ageing of the Emperor and introduced the bust showing shoulders and breast, usually bare. The images on the reverse show personifications like Abundantia and Pax but refer to the subjugation of Dacia, too. All denominations since the time of Augustus are present under Trajan and generally follow the Neronian weight reformation. A typical feature of the coinage is the amalgamation of the dupondius and the as.