Research project P 14232 Moneta Imperii Romani 14: Trainanus Michael ALRAM 06.03.2000

"Moneta Imperii Romani" (MIR) is a series studying the coinage of the Roman Emperors in monographic form. The project was founded by the late Austrian numismatist Robert G6bl and is housed at- the Numismatic Commission of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. In contrast to other catalogues or the international reference book ,Roman Imperial Counage" (RIC) the primary aim of MIR is to show the- systematic and chronological context of the coins within a certain time period. Up to inow studies on the coinage of Tiberius and Gaius (MIR 2/3), Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus and Commodus (MIR 18), (MIR 27), Aurelianus (MIR 47) and Valerianus 1, , , , Macriamis and (MIR 3 6, 43, 44; in press) have been presented.

The reign of Trajan is specialy suited for another study: firstly, there aren't nearly any deeper historiographical sources for the time of Trajan. Therefore, the coin images always played a very important role in reconstructing the history of -the time. Secondly, there are a lot of highly disputed crosses and financial measures in the time of Trajan: one has to think only of the inflow of the Dacian gold and silver booty, of the withdrawals of coins and the "restored coins", of the debasement of the denarius as well as of the reduction of the weight of the aureus. Resulting from the fact that on most of Trajan's coins only very few datable hints can be found, a reliable chronological order of the coins is still lacking. This can be seen as one of the principal reasons for the harsh disputes about the political and ideological history as well as on the monetary economy during Trajan's reign.

It is thus the aim of MIR 14 to present an actualised critical catalogue of all the coin types of Trajan and to reconstruct the minting system. Only by bringing the coins into precisely datable emissions they will become a truly useful source. On this intensive historical and economic interpretations will be based. For reconstructing the emissions it will also be necessary to examine coin hoards and to do die studies. In this way MIR 14 will be an important step forward for the MIR-Series methodologically.