Hadrian Orichalcum Dupondius, RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 877

Monetary Context and Denominational System

During the High Roman Empire, the dupondius served as an essential middle-tier bronze denomination within the bimetallic and trimetallic monetary hierarchy established by Augustus. Valued at two asses or half a sestertius, the dupondius was traditionally struck in orichalcum, a golden-hued brass alloy primarily composed of copper and zinc. This distinct alloy differentiated it visually and metallurgically from the copper as, which shared a similar physical module. While the radiate crown was generally employed on imperial portraiture from the mid-first century onward to distinguish the dupondius from the laureate as, the reign of Hadrian witnessed nuanced typological variations. In certain emissions from Rome during the mid-120s AD, the imperial mint produced orichalcum dupondii bearing laureate portraits, relying on the yellow brass composition, planchet diameter, and intended target mass rather than headgear alone to signal the denomination. The issue of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 877 reflects a period of stabilized monetary supply following the financial reorganizations of Hadrian's early reign, providing everyday commercial liquidity across the Mediterranean while projecting imperial propaganda through religious personifications.

Minting Authority and Production Technique

All official specimens of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 877 were struck at the central imperial mint in Rome. Production involved manual striking using engraved bronze or iron dies upon cast orichalcum flans. Metallurgical analyses of Roman brass under the adoptive emperors show an intentional alloy preparation, though the proportion of zinc gradually declined across the second century due to the frequent remelting and recycling of older brass circulating stock. Blank preparation required heated alloy ingots to be cast in spherical or flattened molds, followed by edge adjustment and annealing to prevent fracturing during die impact. Die alignment on these second-century Rome products generally adhered to a regular axial standard, predominantly oriented near twelve o'clock or six o'clock. The Rome mint was organized into specialized workshops, or officinae, which coordinated the engraving of dies, maintenance of weight standards, and regularized quality control across base-metal denominations. The presence of the formulaic inscription S C underlines the formal constitutional role of the Senate in approving the output of base-metal coinage, even though practical control of the mint rested firmly within the imperial administration.

Obverse Portraiture and Style

The obverse of this dupondius features a carefully modeled head of Hadrian facing right, crowned with a laurel wreath. The portrait displays the naturalistic yet classicizing modeling characteristic of Hadrianic court art, heavily influenced by Greek aesthetic ideals. Hadrian is shown with neatly curled hair, a clipped beard, and a calm, sober expression that became the hallmark of his mature iconography. The laurel wreath rests securely upon his curls, tied at the nape of the neck with ribbon tails that descend toward the neck truncation. Unlike many earlier Flavian and Trajanic issues, the drapery at the shoulders is omitted, presenting a clean truncation that focuses viewer attention on the imperial visage. The choice of a laureate head on a dupondius has been closely studied by modern numismatists; while radiate crowns were the standard marker for the denomination, contemporary die carvers at Rome produced select issues where the orichalcum flan and distinctive diameter carried the denomination, aligning with parallel stylistic conventions found in the gold and silver denominations.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse design presents Salus, the Roman goddess of health, safety, and preservation, seated upon a draped throne facing left. In her right hand, she extends a shallow sacrificial bowl, or patera, toward an altar positioned at the lower left. A serpent, an ancient emblem of renewal and the traditional attribute of both Salus and the Greek god Asclepius, coils around the altar, raising its head toward the patera to receive an offering of sacred food or drink. Salus typically rests her left arm along her side or supports herself upon the seat, with her drapery cascading gracefully around her legs and torso. This imagery carries multifaceted ideological weight during Hadrian's reign. Beyond invoking the personal well-being and bodily preservation of the traveling emperor, the figure of Salus embodied the broader Salus Publica, or public welfare of the Roman Commonwealth. Struck around AD 126 to 127, following Hadrian's return to Rome from his extensive initial inspection of the western and eastern frontiers, this motif assured the Roman populace that peace, divine favor, and physical security were securely sustained under imperial stewardship.

Epigraphic Analysis and Legend Formulations

The legends on RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 877 are distinguished by their concise, unencumbered phrasing. The obverse legend reads HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, arranged circularly along the border of dots, beginning at the lower left and continuing clockwise. By truncating the lengthy nomenclature of his predecessor Trajan, whose titles Hadrian had retained during the first decade of his reign, this streamlined formula reflects the self-assured maturity of the regime from AD 124 onward. The reverse carries the administrative and constitutional markers COS III in the field and the formula S C in the lower exergue. The notation COS III references Hadrian's third consulship, assumed in AD 119; because he never entered a fourth consulship, this titular element remained fixed on his coinage until the end of his life, functioning as a permanent honorific rather than an exact annual calendar date. The abbreviation S C, standing for Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'), maintains the long-standing tradition dating back to the monetary settlement of Augustus, affirming senatorial endorsement for base-metal currency.

Typology, Die Studies, and Chronological Placement

In the original 1926 edition of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume II by Mattingly and Sydenham, Hadrian's bronze coinage was categorized within broad chronological bands that often conflated distinct emission sequences. The revised second edition, RIC II, Part 3, published by Richard Abdy and Peter F. Mittag, has fundamentally redefined the typology of Hadrianic coinage by integrating hoard evidence, die linkage patterns, and stylistic developments. Type 877 is situated securely within the Rome mint's middle production period, dated specifically to AD 126-127. This placement is confirmed by the adoption of the shorter obverse legend HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS and stylistic parallels with dated aurei and denarii from the same operational phases. The Salus seated type exists across several minor engraving variants, distinguished by slight variations in the structure of the altar, the positioning of the throne's backrest, and the exact placement of the exergual line separating the reverse legend from the field. Die survival rates indicate a controlled, medium-scale emission designed to integrate smoothly with concurrent issues bearing personifications such as Virtus, Hilaritas, and Pietas.

Circulation Patterns, Wear, and Hoard Evidence

As an orichalcum dupondius, this coin circulated widely throughout the urban markets of Italy, the western military frontiers along the Rhine and Danube, and the pacified provinces of Gaul, Hispania, and Britain. Roman base-metal coinage possessed substantial longevity in circulation, often passing through commerce for decades until worn flat or recalled. Archaeological evidence from stratified settlement sites demonstrates that Hadrianic dupondii frequently remained active through the reigns of Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius, with some surviving into third-century context deposits. Due to intensive use in daily transactions, surviving examples often exhibit moderate to heavy surface abrasion, softened legends, and edge wear. Significant hoard finds containing second-century aes coins, such as the Coventina's Well votive deposit in Britannia and numerous continental hoards from the limes region, demonstrate that dupondii of this type were integral to troop payment balances and regional market exchange, maintaining their fractional purchasing power long after their initial release at Rome.

References

1. The Severan Aes Standard and the Second Century Background. Revue Numismatique, 2014
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. 430-445
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 877. ric.2_3(2).hdn.877
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II, Part 3: From Hadrian to Antoninus Pius: Hadrian. p. 153, no. 877
5. Untersuchungen zur römischen Reichsprägung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil II: Die Reichsprägung zur Zeit des Hadrian. Stuttgart (1933)