Trajan Æ Sestertius. Rome, 104-111 AD. IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, laureate bust right, displaying bare shoulder & chest, slight drapery on left shoulder / SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, octostyle temple of Venus Genetrix(?), Venus standing within; Jupiter seated facing in pediment, flanked by smaller reclining figures; five statues on roof; SC in exergue. RIC 575; C. 552. 21,48 g, 32mm
Fine.
This sestertius was part of an extensive issue in bronze, silver and gold, clearly intended to commemorate an important event. The authors of RIC note that Trajan built no temples in Rome, and that this temple must either be a building connected with Trajan’s Forum or else one erected in the provinces. However, one must question why quite so much fanfare would have been made in Rome over a provincial temple.
Since the only temple we know of in Trajan’s forum was that of Jupiter, later rededicated to Divus Traianus, which has its own distinct
representation on coinage, this is unlikely to be the case also. Though that temple is octostyle and similar in design to the one depicted here, there are distinct differences, the most important being the figure within. On this coin we clearly see a figure which cannot be Jupiter, but which does bear remarkable resemblance to surviving statues of Venus Genetrix in both stance and posture.
The temple of Venus Genetrix, which this coin might plausibly represent, was dedicated by Caesar on September 26, 46 BC, and subsequently damaged by fire in 80 AD, rebuilt under Domitian, and finally rededicated by Trajan in 113 AD. While this coin was issued earlier than this date, as denoted by COS V, it is not unlikely that Trajan would have had the rededication publicised pre hoc. Contemporary coins also bear the likeness of Trajan’s column and the temple of Jupiter (subsequently rededicated by Hadrian as the temple of the deified Trajan), both integral elements of Trajan’s Forum, though these two had also yet to be completed.
