Leu Numismatik AG
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Trajan, 98-117. Military Diploma (Bronze, 30x33x37 mm, 5.72 g, 9 h), for an unknown auxiliary soldier stationed in Moesia Superior. T. Prifernius Paetus Settidianus Firmus, legate, circa 110/1. W. Eck & A. Pangerl: Neue Diplomzeugnisse für die Truppen in den Donauprovinzen aus dem 2. Jh., in: Acta Musei Napocensis 55 (2018), pp. 30-32, 3 (this piece). Fragmentary, otherwise, very fine.
From a Swiss collection, formed before 2014.
Obverse legend:
[IMP CAESAR DIVI NERVAE F NERVA TRAIANVS AVG GERM DACICVS PONT MAXIM TRIBVNICIA POTEST XIIII/XV IMP VI COS V P P EQVITIBVS ET PEDITIBVS QVI MILITAVERVNT IN ALIS ... ET COHORTIBVS ... QVAE APPELLANTVR ... ET
IIII RAE]TOR ET V HISPAN[OR ET VII BREV-
COR ET SVNT IN MO]ESIA SVPERIORE [SVB T PRIFERNIO
PAETO SETTIDIANO FI]RMO QVINIS ET [VICENIS PLVRI-
BVSVE STIPENDIIS EMERI]TIS ITEM CLA[SSICIS SENIS ET VI-
CENIS DIMISSIS HONESTA] MISSIONE Q[VORVM NOMINA SVB-
SCRIPTA SVNT IPSIS LIBERI]S POSTERI[SQVE EORVM CIVITATEM
DEDIT ET CONVBIVM CVM VXO]RIBVS Q[VAS TVNC HABVISSENT ...]
Reverse legend:
[... QVINIS ET VICENIS PLVRIBVSVE STIPENDIIS] EMER[ITIS ITEM CLASSICIS SENIS
ET VICENIS DIMI]SSIS HONE[STA MISSIONE QVORVM NO-
MINA SVBSCRIPT]A SVNT IPS[IS LIBERIS POSTERISQVE EO-
RVM CIVITAT D]EDIT ET [CONVBIVM CVM VXO]RIBVS Q[VAS TVNC HABVISSENT ...]
This fascinating document is a so-called constitution, a type of diploma related to the mass discharge of veterans in a given province. In this case, the veterans of the auxiliary units of Moesia Superior were granted Roman citizenship, among other privileges, after a successful military career of 25 years. The local commander of each unit would draw up a list of deserving veterans and pass it on to the provincial governor, who in turn would send a summary for the entire province to Rome, where it would be ratified, after which individual copies for each soldier would be drawn up and sent back to the province to be handed out. The legate mentioned on this fragment is Titus Prifernius Paetus Settidianus Firmus, who is known to have been consul suffectus in 96.
From a Swiss collection, formed before 2014.
Obverse legend:
[IMP CAESAR DIVI NERVAE F NERVA TRAIANVS AVG GERM DACICVS PONT MAXIM TRIBVNICIA POTEST XIIII/XV IMP VI COS V P P EQVITIBVS ET PEDITIBVS QVI MILITAVERVNT IN ALIS ... ET COHORTIBVS ... QVAE APPELLANTVR ... ET
IIII RAE]TOR ET V HISPAN[OR ET VII BREV-
COR ET SVNT IN MO]ESIA SVPERIORE [SVB T PRIFERNIO
PAETO SETTIDIANO FI]RMO QVINIS ET [VICENIS PLVRI-
BVSVE STIPENDIIS EMERI]TIS ITEM CLA[SSICIS SENIS ET VI-
CENIS DIMISSIS HONESTA] MISSIONE Q[VORVM NOMINA SVB-
SCRIPTA SVNT IPSIS LIBERI]S POSTERI[SQVE EORVM CIVITATEM
DEDIT ET CONVBIVM CVM VXO]RIBVS Q[VAS TVNC HABVISSENT ...]
Reverse legend:
[... QVINIS ET VICENIS PLVRIBVSVE STIPENDIIS] EMER[ITIS ITEM CLASSICIS SENIS
ET VICENIS DIMI]SSIS HONE[STA MISSIONE QVORVM NO-
MINA SVBSCRIPT]A SVNT IPS[IS LIBERIS POSTERISQVE EO-
RVM CIVITAT D]EDIT ET [CONVBIVM CVM VXO]RIBVS Q[VAS TVNC HABVISSENT ...]
This fascinating document is a so-called constitution, a type of diploma related to the mass discharge of veterans in a given province. In this case, the veterans of the auxiliary units of Moesia Superior were granted Roman citizenship, among other privileges, after a successful military career of 25 years. The local commander of each unit would draw up a list of deserving veterans and pass it on to the provincial governor, who in turn would send a summary for the entire province to Rome, where it would be ratified, after which individual copies for each soldier would be drawn up and sent back to the province to be handed out. The legate mentioned on this fragment is Titus Prifernius Paetus Settidianus Firmus, who is known to have been consul suffectus in 96.