A rare Roman coin of the emperor Trajan that celebrates Rome’s conquest of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) in AD 115, has just been recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme. It was found by Frank Kurzeja at Shoreham-by-Sea and reported to Liz Andrews-Wilson, Finds Liaison Officer for Sussex.

Sam Moorhead at the British Museum writes that this coin shows Trajan standing triumphant in military attire above three figures representing Armenia and the rivers Euphrates and Tigris.

The inscriptions are worn away, but one states that Armenia and Mesopotamia have been brought back under Roman domination. Not content with his conquest of Dacia (modern Romania), Trajan determined to defeat his Middle Eastern enemies and this coin is his ‘mission accomplished’ statement that circulated throughout the Roman Empire. Ironically, the Roman occupation of Iraq was short-lived; Trajan’s successor, Hadrian, pulled out of Mesopotamia only a couple of years later.

To see this coin and to learn more about Roman coins found in Britain, go to the Portable Antiquities Scheme website: www.finds.org.uk This coin’s record number is SUSS-977223.

PAS record number: SUSS-977223
Object type: Coin
Broadperiod: Roman
County of discovery: West Sussex
Stable url: https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/191919