Very excited to cross this one off of my want list!
Trajan
AR Denarius
IMP TRAIANVS AVG GER DAC PM TR P COS VI PP, Laureate bust left, drapery on far shoulder
DIVVS PATER TRAIAN, Deified Marcus Ulpius Trajanus seated left on curule chair, holding scepter and patera
Marcus Ulpius Trajan was the biological father of Trajan, born in about 29 to the distinguished and wealthy hens Ulpia. He entered politics at a young age and probably served as a senator under Claudius and Nero. During the reign of Claudius, Trajan married Marcia, Trajan's mother and the older sister to the future emperor Titus' second wife, Marcia Furnilla. He distinguished himself in the Judaean war of 67-70, commanding Legio X Fretensis. He found favor with Vespasian, and spent most of the Flavian era serving numerous terms as governor of various provinces across the entire Roman world. In the 80s or early 90s, he returned to Rome for his retirement, now enormously wealthy and in good standing with the ruling classes of Rome. He was no doubt influential in ensuring his son's success, and died of natural causes soon before his son's rise to the Principate, aged in his late sixties.
Interestingly, Trajan did not choose to explicitly honor his biological father until near the end of his own life. It is possible that this was due to reverence to his adoptive father, Nerva.
Posted 08/04/2019 01:58 am
..Great looking coin Steve!
....I see there are a couple for sale over on vcoins, they aren't cheap!
