The ancient sources are frustratingly silent concerning the early life of Trajan Decius. It is speculated that he was born in 201 CE, and was either from Italy or somewhere in the Balkans. In 249 CE, Decius was charged with restoring order to the Danube frontier. Shortly thereafter, the Emperor died, and the military moved swiftly to proclaim Decius as the new ruler of the Empire. Decius assumed the name Trajan in reference to the early Julio-Claudian emperor, popularly heralded as the best emperor since Augustus. Decius ruled only 22 months, from September 249 CE to July 251 CE, but he minted a large number of coins. Like his childhood, much about the coins remains contestable. None of the inscriptions list his consular year, so are difficult to date to specific points during his reign. The location of minting is somewhat ambiguous as well. This particular coin is attributed to Rome, because of the legend on the reverse. It refers to his conquests in the Danube, and is seen by many as an attempt to strengthen his legitimacy. The greatest numbers of Trajan Decius coins are attributed to Milan, which provided a convenient location between two military frontiers. Andrew Moore 2011.