A remarkable gold aureus of the Roman Emperor Trajan, 103-111 AD.

The coin is in excellent condition, but I'm a little puzzled as to why the reverse depicts Libertas, the goddess of liberty, instead of Victoria, the goddess of victory. Can anyone suggest any events that might be related to this?

Material: gold, diameter: approx. 20 mm, weight: 7.1 grams.

Obverse: legend: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TR P, "To Emperor Trajan Augustus Germanicus Dacico Pontifico Maximo Tribuniciæ Potestate" (To Emperor Trajan Augustus Germanicus Dacia, Pontiff Maximus, endowed with tribunician power).
Obverse: bust of Trajan, facing right.

Reverse: Legend: COS VPPSPQR OPTIMO PRINC, "Consul quintum Pater Patriæ Senatus Populus Que Romanus Optimo Principi" (Consul for the fifth time, father of the country, the Senate, and the Roman people, best of princes).
Reverse: The goddess of liberty, Libertas, faces left and holds a pileus (Phrygian cap)—a symbol of liberty—in one hand and a scepter (spear?) in the other.
_____
#coin #history #metaldetecting #mydigworld #goldcoins #dirtfishing #hobbydetecting #gold #coinhunting #relichunting #Archaeology #HistoricalArtifacts #museums