106-111 AD., Trajan, Rome mint, Sestertius, RIC 534 var.

Trajan, Rome mint, struck 106-111 AD.,
Æ Sestertius (32-33 mm / 23,54 g),
Obv.: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P , laureate bust of Trajan right, wearing aegis.
Rev.: S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI / S C , emperor on springing horse right, thrusting spear in right hand at Dacian warrior falling forward before under horse's hooves; Dacian's head turned left and raising hands.
RIC II 534 var. (drapery on far shoulder) ; cf. Strack 360a ; Banti 209 ; BMCRE 836 var. (laureate only) ; Coh. 508 var. (bust type) .

Suspicious of the Dacian king Decebalus and eager to bring the country under Roman control, Trajan invaded the territory in 101 AD. After a hard-fought campaign, imposed a harsh treaty while stationing legionary garrisons there. In 105 AD a second war ensued, prompted by infractions of the treaty. The Romans quickly captured the Dacian capital and in 106 AD Decebalus, hunted down, committed suicide rather than risk capture.
Hunted, his army defeated, surrounded by Roman detachments seeking his head and Decebalus, together with two children, was finally cornered and rather than being captured as a prisoner to be exhibited at Rome, committed suicide by slashing his own throat, as depicted on Trajan's Column and maybe on this issue.

It is likely, however, that in the process of dying Decebalus was captured by a Roman Cavalry Scout named Tiberius Claudius Maximus from Legio VII Claudia as is claimed on the funerary stele discovered at Gramini in Greece. His head and right hand were then taken to Trajan in "Ranisstorium" (an unidentified Dacian village, perhaps Piatra Craiului) by Claudius Maximus when he was decorated by the emperor, and the trophy sent to Rome where it was thrown on the Gemonian stairs. Tiberius Claudius Maximus' tomb cites two occasions where the legionary was decorated for his part in the Dacian wars, one of which being the acquisition and recovery of Decebalus' head.