Hadrian Dupondius, RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 159

Monetary Context and Denominational System

During the early second century AD, the Roman imperial monetary system maintained the bimetallic and base-metal denominational structure established during the Augustan monetary reform. Within this framework, base-metal coinage performed essential day-to-day fiscal functions, facilitating municipal commerce, retail transactions, and secondary military disbursements. The dupondius held a tariffed value of two asses, or half of a sestertius, representing one-eighth of a silver denarius. The Augustan system distinguished denominations not merely by weight, but critically by metal alloy and imperial portraiture. While the as was struck in pure red copper (aes), the dupondius and sestertius were composed of orichalcum, a golden-toned brass alloy of copper and zinc. Because circulation wear and environmental patination could obscure the visual distinction between orichalcum and copper, imperial mint authorities introduced the radiate crown as an explicit denominational marker for the dupondius under Nero. This convention remained steadfast through the reign of Hadrian. The issue of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 159 in 118 AD formed part of an intense initial outpouring of imperial base-metal currency following the death of Trajan in late summer 117 AD. Under Hadrian, the Rome mint resumed heavy emissions of sestertii and dupondii to convey immediate ideological messaging to the urban populace of Rome, paying homage to senatorial authority while affirming the legitimacy of the newly elevated sovereign.

Production Standards and Minting

The entire emission of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 159 was executed at the central imperial mint in Rome. Under the early Antonines, the Rome mint possessed a highly organized division of labor, operating multiple officinae dedicated to precious metal and aes production. The technical manufacture of orichalcum dupondii required precise metallurgical blending, as fresh calamine brass was routinely combined with recycled scrap metal. Analysis of early second-century Roman brass indicates a zinc content generally ranging between twelve and eighteen percent, which conferred a bright, brassy luster intended to evoke the appearance of fine bronze or low-grade gold. Flans were cast in open or two-part molds and hammered into round, beveled blanks prior to striking. In line with contemporary imperial dupondius production, specimens of this issue typically center around a theoretical target weight of approximately 12 to 14 grams, with diameters commonly measuring between 26 and 28 millimeters, though normal pre-industrial variations in flan preparation led to noticeable individual deviations. The dies were manually carved by experienced engravers whose stylistic execution in 118 AD mirrored the high artistic relief and realistic portraiture developed under late Trajanic mint masters. Dies were generally aligned at or near an upright or inverted orientation (six o'clock or twelve o'clock), reflecting disciplined alignment practices at the urban mint.

Obverse Iconography and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 159 presents a right-facing, radiate bust of the emperor. Hadrian is depicted with a bare chest, though traces of light drapery or paludamentum are usually visible gathered on the far left shoulder. His head is adorned with the solar radiate crown, whose prominent spikes project outward to indicate the dupondius denomination. Stylistically, this portrait belongs to Hadrian's first official portrait type, frequently designated by numismatists as the accession or adoption type. Created shortly after the transition of power, it retains strong echoes of Trajanic physiognomic conventions: a firm, square jaw, prominent brow, and disciplined facial expression. However, it introduces the revolutionary stylistic innovation that came to define Hadrianic portraiture: a full, carefully trimmed beard and mustache. While previous imperial iconography had adhered strictly to the clean-shaven tradition of Augustus and his Julio-Claudian successors, Hadrian adopted the philosophical and military beard popular among Hellenistic intellectuals and Roman field officers. The hair is rendered in dense, naturalistic curls, demonstrating the sophisticated plastic modeling of the Rome mint's chief engravers. The bare chest iconography emphasizes heroic and martial qualities, framing the young ruler as an energetic commander ready to safeguard the empire.

Reverse Typology and Allegory

The reverse design features a complex allegorical tableau explicitly celebrating the Adventus Augusti, the formal arrival of the emperor into the capital. The personification of Roma sits facing right on a pile of captured armor, consisting of a cuirass and an underlying round or oval shield. In her left hand, Roma supports a tall vertical spear, while extending her right hand to clasp the right hand of Hadrian, who stands facing left before her. Hadrian is clothed in the traditional civil toga of a Roman magistrate or military commander in peace, holding a rolled document or scroll (volumen) in his left hand. This compositional motif of clasping right hands, known as dextrarum iunctio, represents an ancient Roman ritual gesture symbolizing concord, solemn agreement, fidelity, and mutual embrace. By depicting Roma seated upon martial spoils, the design recalls Rome's victorious military past while signaling an impending era of civic peace. The physical balance between the seated deity and the standing princeps underscores Hadrian's deference to Roman tradition and republican civic forms, visually reassuring the Senate and citizen body that his governance would prioritize constitutional stability and internal prosperity rather than autocratic dominance.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The epigraphic program of this dupondius provides precise historical and chronological evidence for its striking. The obverse legend reads IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG, which transcribes as Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus. Hadrian prominently includes the name 'Traianus' within his imperial nomenclature, an intentional epigraphic choice during the first two years of his reign designed to emphasize his formal adoption by the deified Trajan and solidify his dynastic legitimacy. The reverse perimeter legend reads PONT MAX TR POT COS II, abbreviating Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate, Consul II. Hadrian assumed the supreme pontificate (Pontifex Maximus) and his first tribunician power shortly after accession in 117 AD, entering his second consulship on January 1, 118 AD. In the lower field or exergue, the primary thematic inscription ADVENTVS AVG (Adventus Augusti, 'The Arrival of the Emperor') announces the specific event commemorated by the issue. Accompanying this is the official senatorial authorization mark, S C (Senatus Consulto, 'By Decree of the Senate'), positioned either within the exergue flanking the inscription or divided within the lateral reverse fields. The inclusion of S C was the obligatory legal formula for Roman base-metal coinage, reaffirming the shared jurisdictional authority between the Senate and the imperial palace.

Typology and Chronological Placement

Within the typology of Hadrian's bronze coinage, RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 159 occupies an exact chronological window in 118 AD. Trajan passed away in Cilicia in August 117 AD, and Hadrian spent the autumn and winter securing the eastern frontiers and resolving military crises along the lower Danube. He did not make his ceremonial entry into Rome until July 9, 118 AD. The numismatic issues bearing the legend ADVENTVS AVG and Hadrian's second consulship (COS II) were prepared by the Rome mint either in direct anticipation of his arrival or during the public festivities that accompanied his presence in the city that summer. In the original 1926 cataloging of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume II by Mattingly and Sydenham, early Hadrianic aes issues were grouped under broader typological headings. The modern revised edition, RIC II, Part 3 (2019) by Richard Abdy and Peter Pfisterer, refined this sequence, isolating catalogue number 159 specifically for the radiate dupondius pairing this bust variety with Roma clasping hands with the emperor. Parallel dies and related designs were struck in the sestertius denomination, but the dupondius stands out for its deliberate employment of the radiate crown to balance the regal imagery with traditional senatorial bronze titling.

Circulation, Hoarding, and Survival

As an orichalcum dupondius struck for standard currency use, RIC 159 entered vigorous circulation throughout the central and western provinces of the Roman Empire. Roman base-metal coins possessed immense utilitarian longevity, frequently remaining in active commercial circulation for several decades, and in some contexts over a century, until worn nearly smooth. Archaeological site finds from Roman Britain, the Rhine-Danube limes, Gaul, and Italy demonstrate that Hadrianic dupondii circulated alongside Flavian and Trajanic issues, gradually suffering loss of relief and corrosion. Unlike gold aurei and silver denarii, which were often hoarded in bank vaults or buried during times of military crisis, orichalcum denominations appear predominantly in mixed bronze hoards, domestic loss contexts, and votive offerings at river crossings or religious sanctuaries. Because RIC 159 commemorates an ephemeral political event confined to Hadrian's second consulship in 118 AD, its production run was bounded compared to long-running generic types featuring Annona, Salus, or Moneta. Consequently, well-preserved specimens retaining crisp reverse details and complete exergual legends are relatively scarce, with most surviving examples exhibiting substantial surface circulation wear consistent with protracted monetary utility.

References

1. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II, Part 3: From Hadrian to Antoninus Pius (AD 117-138) - Hadrian. p. 75, no. 159
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. 410-415
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 159. ric.2_3(2).hdn.159
4. Untersuchungen zur romischen Reichspragung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil II: Die Reichspragung zur Zeit des Hadrian. pp. 52-60