Hadrian Orichalcum Dupondius, RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 990

Monetary Context and Denominational Structure

Under the High Roman Empire, the monetary system was anchored by the Augustan bi-metallic and base-metal denominations, organized into rigid tariff relationships. Within this structure, the sestertius and dupondius formed the primary medium-value copper-alloy token currencies, both struck in orichalcum, a golden-hued brass alloy composed of copper and zinc. The dupondius represented one-half of a sestertius or two asses, functioning as an essential denomination for urban daily transactions, marketplace retail, and small-scale official payments. By the time of Hadrian, the intrinsic brass composition of the dupondius was crucial to its legal tender status, as the yellow metal distinguished it visually and economically from the pure copper as, which had half the dupondius tariff. In standard imperial convention, dupondii were typically distinguished from asses by the inclusion of a radiate crown upon the imperial bust, symbolizing the radiate majesty of Sol. However, stylistic and catalogue distinctions in Hadrianic bronze demonstrate that certain orichalcum flans were paired with laureate dies, leading to careful modern taxonomic classification by metal and weight rather than crown type alone. The emission of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 990 in AD 128 to AD 129 belongs to a massive administrative re-coinage following Hadrian's decade-delayed acceptance of the title Pater Patriae. This constitutional milestone prompted the mint of Rome to replace earlier legends across all denominations with an updated formula emphasizing his paternal guardianship over the Roman commonwealth.

Mint Organization and Production Techniques

The imperial mint in Rome held an absolute monopoly over the production of official senatorial base-metal coinage for the western empire during the reign of Hadrian. The urban mint facility operated with multiple officinae or workshops capable of turning out large, highly regulated volumes of coinage simultaneously. Production of orichalcum middle bronzes required specialized metallurgical expertise, beginning with the cementation process where copper was heated with zinc oxide calamine ore to produce brass ingots with zinc contents typically ranging between ten and twenty percent. Blanks for the dupondius were cast in individual open or bivalve moulds, resulting in circular flans with slightly tapered or bevelled edges. After casting and preliminary cold-hammering to smooth imperfections, the flans were heated to ensure malleability and placed between hand-cut hardened iron or bronze dies. The lower die, carrying the imperial portrait, was set firmly into an anvil to withstand repeated hammer blows, while the reverse die was affixed to a handheld punch struck from above by a team of skilled mint workers. The weight standard of the Hadrianic dupondius was carefully controlled at the workshop level, generally targeting an average weight between eleven and thirteen grams with a diameter around twenty-six to twenty-eight millimetres, although significant tolerances were accepted in ancient batch-striking. Alignment of dies in the Rome mint during this period was predominantly regular, exhibiting a traditional upright or inverted axial orientation.

Obverse Portraiture and Ideology

The obverse of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 990 presents a right-facing, mature portrait of Hadrian wearing a laurel wreath. In Roman imperial portraiture, the introduction of the full philosopher beard by Hadrian represented a decisive aesthetic break from the clean-shaven tradition established by Augustus and maintained by the Julio-Claudians and Flavians. Engraved in high relief by master celators at Rome, the portrait demonstrates the classical Greek aesthetic favored by the emperor, rendered with deeply drilled curls in the hair and beard and refined facial modelling. The laurel wreath rests securely upon the head, secured at the back by a neatly tied ribbon with two flowing tails that extend downward onto the imperial neck. While dupondii generally featured a radiate crown to allow instant differentiation from the laureate as, this specific type represents an established numismatic variant where the Rome mint employed a laureate head on an orichalcum dupondius flan. The imperial gaze is directed steadily forward, projecting gravitas, authority, and stoic composure. The composition balance ensures that the imperial likeness occupies the central field without crowding the circular legend that frames the perimeter. This portrait type reflects the consolidated image of the emperor in the second decade of his reign, presenting Hadrian as an experienced administrator and defender of the realm rather than an active military campaigner in the field.

Reverse Iconography: Hilaritas Populi Romani

The reverse design of this dupondius features Hilaritas, the personification of joyful rejoicing and spiritual ease, standing facing left. She is rendered in graceful drapery, though rare die varieties across the broader Hadrianic series depict her torso partially exposed. In her left hand, Hilaritas cradles a large cornucopia, the horn of plenty, overflowing with fruits that symbolize agricultural prosperity, divine favor, and imperial bounty. In her outstretched right hand, she holds an elongated palm branch pointing upward and outward, an ancient symbol of victory, festivity, and sacred celebration. Flanking the personification at ground level are two small children, traditionally identified as a boy and a girl. One child reaches upward to grasp the palm branch, while the second child holds fast to the drapery of Hilaritas' stola. This multi-figure composition conveys a complex ideological program celebrating public gladness and domestic fertility. The inclusion of children alludes directly to the imperial alimenta, the state welfare and endowment program that provided grain and financial subsidies to underprivileged Italian youth. By portraying Hilaritas in nurturing communion with the rising generation, the design underscores the internal stability of the Pax Romana and promises a prosperous future under benevolent imperial rule. The personification stands balanced between the letters S and C in the middle field, while the lower elements are demarcated by a distinct horizontal ground line above the exergue.

Epigraphic Program and Senatorial Formulae

The inscriptions on RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 990 are executed in clean, classic Roman monumental lettering, characterized by crisp serifs and proportionate letter spacing. The obverse legend reads HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P, running clockwise along the rim. This abbreviated formula contains the imperial name Hadrianus, the supreme constitutional title Augustus, and the honorific title Pater Patriae, Father of the Fatherland. The omission of the extended filiation formulas and military cognomina that characterized Hadrian's earlier coinage reflects an intentional streamlining of the imperial titular display in the late 120s AD, allowing the core titles to dominate the coin face. On the reverse, the primary legend reads HILARITAS P R, positioned continuously along the upper arc of the coin. The abbreviation P R resolves to Populi Romani, designating the figure as the Joy of the Roman People, thereby framing the celebratory nature of the coin as a collective civic blessing shared by all Roman citizens. In the exergue beneath the ground line appears the chronological marker COS III, indicating that the emperor was in his third consulship, an office he assumed in AD 119 and declined to hold again, leaving it as a permanent honorific title. Flanking Hilaritas in the horizontal field are the prominent letters S C, abbreviating Senatus Consulto. This formula signifies that the bronze coinage was struck by decree of the Senate, preserving the traditional constitutional fiction of shared monetary authority between the princeps and the senatorial order.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the second edition of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume II, Part 3, revised by Richard Abdy and Peter Franz Mittag, the typology of Hadrian's bronze coinage is classified according to strict obverse titulature phases, portrait treatments, and reverse themes. Type 990 is specifically isolated within the chronological horizon of AD 128 to AD 129 based upon the introduction of the letters P P on the obverse. Hadrian had repeatedly declined the title Pater Patriae following his accession in AD 117, ultimately consenting to receive it from the Senate in early AD 128. This acceptance resulted in an immediate, coordinated overhaul of die engraving across the gold, silver, and bronze workshops at Rome. The Hilaritas Populi Romani reverse was simultaneously struck across multiple denominations, including sestertii, dupondii, and asses, creating a unified thematic issue that proclaimed widespread public celebration. RIC 990 is distinguished within this broader emission by its combination of the dupondius denomination, the laureate head facing right, and the full multi-figure reverse displaying Hilaritas with two children and COS III in the exergue. While related types omit the children or substitute a bare or radiate head, type 990 represents the canonical laureate middle bronze expression of this design in the first phase of the post-Pater Patriae period. By late AD 129 and early AD 130, this issue was largely phased out as the mint shifted production to advertise Hadrian's upcoming extensive travels throughout the eastern provinces.

Circulation Patterns and Monetary Role

Dupondii struck at Rome under Hadrian circulated broadly across the commercial networks of the Roman Empire, although their primary concentration remained in Rome, central Italy, and the militarized western frontiers of Britannia, the Rhine, and the Danube. Due to the high purchasing power of silver denarii and gold aurei, which were largely preserved for state tax collection, military pay, and institutional transactions, base-metal coinage served as the indispensable medium of exchange for daily livelihood in local markets, taverns, and urban bakeries. A dupondius possessed sufficient value to purchase multiple loaves of bread, portions of cheap wine, or access to public baths. Because bronze denominations were not subject to systematic recalling or melting down upon the death of an emperor, coins of type RIC 990 remained in active commercial circulation for decades after their issue date. Hoard evidence and excavation contexts from across the western provinces demonstrate that Hadrianic dupondii frequently circulated alongside Flavian, Trajanic, and Antonine issues, remaining functional into the third century AD. As the zinc content of brass coins was visibly lost through extensive handling, skin acids, and soil exposure, aged dupondii acquired a dark brown or green patina indistinguishable from copper asses, causing their market value to rely heavily on overall size, visible legends, and traditional weight recognition rather than original surface luster.

References

1. Coinage in the Roman World. pp. 48-65
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. 440-448
3. RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 990. Hadrian 990
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II, Part 3: From Hadrian to Antoninus Pius (AD 117-138) - Hadrian. pp. 135-142
5. Untersuchungen zur römischen Reichsprägung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil II: Die Reichsprägung zur Zeit des Hadrian. pp. 112-120