Hadrian As, RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 820

Monetary Context and Denominational Function

During the High Roman Empire, the monetary system restored by Augustus and refined by the Flavian and adoptive emperors operated on a trimetallic structure where gold, silver, and base metal denominations served interdependent economic roles. The as functioned as the standard unit of fractional copper-alloy currency, struck under senatorial formula (Senatus Consulto) and tariffed at four asses to the sestertius, two asses to the dupondius, and sixteen asses to the silver denarius. In the early second century AD, base-metal coinage met the daily transaction needs of the civilian population across Italy and the western provinces, facilitating local retail purchases, market stipends, and day labor payments. The issue designated as RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 820 represents an integral part of Hadrian's middle bronze coinage struck at Rome between AD 125 and 127. While previous reigns frequently utilized the as for heavy military or dynastic propaganda, Hadrian's third consulship witnessed an expansion of themes addressing imperial travel, administrative cohesion, and general civic prosperity. As a middle-range denomination, the as enjoyed rapid circulation within market networks, ensuring that thematic motifs such as the imperial ship reached a broad socioeconomic audience across urban and rural centers.

Mint Production and Physical Standards

All regular imperial issues belonging to this catalogue type were struck at the central mint of Rome. Operating under the ultimate authority of the princeps and administrative supervision of the equestrian procurator monetae, the Rome mint organized production through specialized workshops (officinae) capable of handling immense volumes of base metal. Although provincial and travel-related mints operated intermittently during Hadrian's travels, systematic corpus studies confirm that the standardized dies for RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 820 derived entirely from the metropolitan engravers of the capital. Physically, the denomination was struck on cast copper or bronze flans that typically conformed to an imperial weight standard fluctuating around 9 to 12 grams, with diameters commonly measuring between 25 and 28 millimeters. Unlike dupondii, which were struck in yellow brass (orichalcum) and regularly featured a radiate crown, the as was traditionally produced in purer red copper or related low-zinc alloy and displayed a laureate portrait or bare head. The dies were manually executed with fine steel burins, demonstrating the refined classicizing art typical of the middle Hadrianic period, characterized by careful anatomical proportions, deeply modeled hair curls, and balanced inscription letters within circular beaded borders.

Obverse Iconography and Style

The obverse of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 820 features the laureate head of Hadrian turned to the right. The portraiture embodies the classicizing aesthetic favored by the emperor, who systematically adopted Greek-inspired sculptural idioms, including a full, neatly trimmed beard and textured curls. In ancient Roman imperial portraiture, Hadrian was the first emperor to wear a full beard consistently, departing from the clean-shaven tradition of his Julio-Claudian, Flavian, and Antonine predecessors to evoke the dignified authority of classical Greek statesmen and philosophers. The laurel wreath, tied at the nape of the neck with two falling ribbons (taeniae), symbolizes military prestige and civic triumph, inherited from the traditional honors of the republican triumphator and maintained throughout the principate. Engravers at the Rome mint captured the emperor with a determined, serene expression, prominent brow, and naturalistic facial modeling. The portrait occupies the central field without crowding, harmonizing with the surrounding legend to project imperial majesty and steady governance.

Reverse Design and Symbolism

The reverse of the coin depicts a vessel or galley navigating towards the right, executed with remarkable technical detail. The galley features a curved stern terminating in an aplustre or acrostolium, an angled steering oar (gubernaculum), and banks of oars along the hull. Certain die variations include a cabin or shelter at the stern, a small standard or mast, and stylized figures representing the helmsman and rowers, though the essential compositional schema consistently prioritizes the forward movement of the vessel across the exergual line. In Roman numismatic iconography, the ship held multiple layers of meaning. While under earlier emperors like Nero or Trajan naval imagery often celebrated specific naval triumphs or grain distribution via the harbor at Ostia Portus, during Hadrian's reign the ship was intimately associated with imperial mobility. Between AD 121 and 125, Hadrian conducted his first great tour of the western and eastern provinces, sailing repeatedly across the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Propontis. The galley celebrated the safe navigation of the emperor (felicitas navigationis), the maritime connections binding the empire, and the uninterrupted transport of grain to the capital, ensuring public security and commercial stability.

Epigraphy and Legend Structure

The obverse legend reads simply HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, inscribed continuously along the outer perimeter starting from the lower left. This concise formula marks a significant epigraphic shift introduced in Rome around AD 124 to 125. Earlier in the reign, obverse legends had been extensive, detailing titles such as IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG. By shedding patronymic and excessively militaristic titles, Hadrian adopted a dignified, simplified royal presentation that underscored his personal name alongside the essential imperial title of Augustus. The reverse legend carries the inscription COS III across the upper field, accompanied by the senatorial mark S C in the exergue beneath the ship. The title COS III designates Hadrian's third consulship, which he entered on January 1, AD 119. Because Hadrian never assumed a fourth consulship, COS III remained a static titular element on his coinage for the rest of his reign, spanning from AD 119 until his death in AD 138. The letters S C represent Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'), the longstanding constitutional validation applied to base-metal coinage struck at Rome, affirming the cooperative administration of public currency between the emperor and the senatorial order.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the standard classification established by the updated Roman Imperial Coinage corpus (RIC II, Part 3, second edition), type 820 is securely placed within the chronological bracket of AD 125 to 127. This placement relies heavily on the stylistic evolution of portraiture at the Rome mint and the specific conjunction of the shortened obverse legend HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS with the simple reverse inscription COS III, which preceded the formal introduction of the title Pater Patriae (P P) in late AD 127 or early 128. Within Hadrian's broader coinage, the ship motif appears across multiple denominations, including aurei, denarii, sestertii, and asses, reflecting an orchestrated iconographic campaign. RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 820 represents the specific bronze as issue within this larger design family, distinct from companion sestertii (such as RIC 819 or related variants) and earlier galley types that featured more complex reverse legends like FELICITATI AVG. While individual die pairs demonstrate slight variations in the rendering of the ship's rigging, cabin superstructure, and the size of the exergual lettering, the type remains typologically unified around the right-facing ship design combined with the COS III // S C legend scheme.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Context

As base-metal fractional coins produced at Rome, asses of this type circulated primarily throughout Italy and the western provinces of the Roman Empire, including Britannia, Gaul, Hispania, and the Germanic frontiers. In contrast to the eastern provinces, which possessed entrenched traditions of civic bronze coinage struck in Greek, the western territories relied almost exclusively on the central mint of Rome for official aes currency. Consequently, substantial numbers of Hadrianic asses entered military fortresses, urban trading centers, and rural villas through regular state disbursements, troop pay supplements, and commercial transit. Hoard evidence and site finds demonstrate that Hadrianic bronze pieces enjoyed an exceptionally long circulatory life. Because bronze did not suffer the periodic state recalls and official remeltings common to debased silver coinage, asses struck during the AD 120s frequently remained in everyday circulation for decades. Many specimens recovered in archaeological excavations across western Europe show significant wear, circulating well into the reigns of Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, and the Severan dynasty before being lost or deposited in small domestic hoards.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume III: Nerva to Hadrian. Hadrian bronze issues
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 820. ric.2_3(2).hdn.820
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II, Part 3: From Hadrian to Antoninus Pius: Hadrian. no. 820
4. Untersuchungen zur romischen Reichspragung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil II: Die Reichspragung zur Zeit des Hadrian. Teil II