Trajan Honored on Syrian Coin
One beautiful coin from the excavation has no known parallels. The obverse shows a bust of Trajan, with his titles (in Greek) inscribed around the flan: Autokrator (ruler) Caesar Nerva Trajanus Sebastos (savior) Germanicus Dacicus (victor in Germany and Dacia). On the reverse the personification of a city stands on a galley; she holds a scepter in her right hand and a cornucopia in her left. Only part of the reverse inscription can be read (Daphna?ƒo.nlƒ), but the three Greek letters (DOR) to her right may give a clue to the mint.
Although earlier eastern city coins had been confined to small, dumpy flans, beginning with Trajan (98-117) larger blanks were minted, allowing more scope on the reverse to the die cutter and a finer portrait on the obverse. Under Hadrian (117-138), the repetitious cult statue reverse was discarded for more interesting types, and dates (reckoned by era) were first used. The three Greek letters are the date. The Greek letters are DOR.
The combination of Trajan with this specific inscription and a city goddess (a bust, not the entire figure) had been minted by a Syrian city, probably Antioch, during the latter part of Trajan's reign. If the coin comes from Antioch, it should date to 125 ce, since the Antiochene era begins in 49 bce (174-49 = 125). Hadrian's die cutters were known to revive earlier types. Thus, the coin was minted when Hadrian was touring the east, and it honors Hadrian's adopted father.