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See Feuardent: ‘façade d’un magnifique édifice décoré des colonnes, surmonté d’un quadrige et de plusieurs groupes de figures’; he had a note on the reading of the inscription. He tentatively concluded that the word was not likely to be a form of a word ΒΑΛΙΝΗΟΝ = BALINEUM, a bath building, and that the building might be a royal palace (linking the inscription to the rare word βαλλήν, meaning king). Dattari regarded it as a Triumphal arch (‘Arco trionfale a quattro colonne; sopra frontone un disco; sulla sommità l’imperatore in quadriqua di fronte, ai lati trofei e prigionieri. Nel campo, [LI] B’), and this is the generally accepted interpretation , although Vogt, I p. 76, II p. 29 called it a ‘Triumphtor’ rather than a ‘Triumphbogen’. Handler said that a ‘second type of arch is seen in coins issued under Trajan. The entablature is supported by four Corinthian columns, which seem to rise directly to it, with no indication of arches opening between them (pl. 11:24). The disc-decorated pediment is surmounted by an attic with the usual decoration of chariot and trophies. The absence of a central cult statue, and the general similarities of form with the other arch representations make it clear that this unusual issue was also a structure of the same type.’ (S. Handler, AJA 75 (1971), p. 70; she illustrated the rev. of the P coin on her pl. 11.24. Christiansen, RCA I, p. 156 described it as ‘Triumphal arch’ and associated the Athens coin with both D1088 and [wrongly] D1084 under the same heading; but in his note (II, p. 46 note 134) he said ‘the interpretation of this type is doubtful. Emmett 603 calls it ‘Triumphal arch like building’. Vogt II, p. 29 (II, p. 46 note 134, said ‘the interpretation of this type is doubtful.’). If the inscription is read correctly here (confirmation required), then it must surely mean ‘Bath’ (ΒΑΛAΝΗΟΥ = the genitive of ΒΑΛAΝEION, substituting EI for H (but why the genitive?). It is surely no coincidence that the great Thermae Traiani in Rome were dedicated precisely in summer 109,perhaps paid for by the spoils of the Dacian War; so it seems possible that these coins depict part of those baths. A Dem 982bis, P1058 and D1088 (and perhaps NY) might be from the same reverse die; DS7195 seems different.
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