Hadrian Orichalcum Sestertius, RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 988

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

During the High Roman Empire, the monetary system established under the Augustan reforms continued to operate on an integrated bimetallic and base-metal standard. Within this hierarchy, the sestertius functioned as the flagship large-format denomination, tariffed at one-quarter of a silver denarius or four copper asses. Struck from orichalcum, a golden-toned copper-zinc alloy valued higher than pure copper, the sestertius provided a substantial visual canvas for the imperial administration. Its large module made it an indispensable instrument of state communication, circulating heavily through civic transactions, military disbursement, public distributions, and regional markets throughout Italia and the western provinces. Under Hadrian, bronze coinage maintained rigorous standards of alloy composition and die execution. The issue of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 988 coincided with a period of fiscal stabilization and civic celebration. Having completed extensive travels across the empire, Hadrian accepted the long-deferred title of Pater Patriae (Father of the Country) in AD 128. The introduction of this title across the aes denominations marked a widespread renovation of reverse iconography, emphasizing the domestic blessings, social peace, and civic benevolence secured by the Principate.

Production and Mint Organization

The entire production of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 988 is assigned exclusively to the imperial mint at Rome. Metropolitan manufacture is evidenced by the consistent die axis (predominantly aligned at roughly 6 o'clock or 12 o'clock, with minor striking variations), classical stylistic rendering of the portraiture, and high-relief engraving characteristic of the urban workshops. Hadrianic brass sestertii of this era adhered to an average target weight clustered around 25 to 28 grams, though observed weights in modern corpora typically vary between 23 and 30 grams due to ancient blank-casting tolerances and variable post-depositional corrosion. Flans were prepared by casting alloyed orichalcum blanks in open molds or between clay sheets, which were subsequently trimmed and struck hot between hardened iron dies. The mint of Rome was structured into distinct officinae (workshops), though officina marks do not explicitly appear on bronze coinage of this period. The reverse features the traditional letters S C (Senatus Consulto) positioned in the left and right fields. While fiscal control of imperial precious-metal and base-metal minting rested firmly within the emperor's bureaucratic apparatus, the retention of the senatorial formula remained a constitutional hallmark of metropolitan aes production, legitimizing the token fiduciary overvaluation of brass coinage relative to its intrinsic metal content.

Obverse Portraiture and Iconography

The obverse of RIC 988 presents a right-facing, laureate head of Hadrian. The portrait belongs to the emperor's mature iconographic phase, reflecting the refined, classicizing aesthetic favored by Hadrianic court engravers. The laurel wreath, tied at the back of the head with ribbons flowing down the neck, symbolizes triumph, sovereign authority, and imperial sacrosanctity. Hadrian is depicted with his characteristic neatly trimmed beard and thick, curling hair, an artistic presentation that famously diverged from the clean-shaven conventions of earlier emperors such as Trajan and Augustus. In this specific catalogue entry, the portrait terminates cleanly at the truncation of the bare neck, without the paludamentum or cuirass found on certain related contemporary variants. The relief is typically bold, emphasizing individual facial contours, a firm jawline, and an introspective, serene expression that harmonized with Hadrian's philhellenic self-representation. The peripheral inscription surrounds the portrait closely, beginning at the lower left and terminating at the lower right, framed within an outer border of fine dots.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse type portrays Hilaritas, the divine personification of joyous celebration and lighthearted cheer, standing turned slightly to the left. She is depicted draped in long stola and palla, though rare die variants in the broader series note drapery slipping or arranged to expose the upper torso. In her right hand, Hilaritas holds a tall palm branch upright, while her left arm cradles a cornucopia (horn of plenty), uniting symbols of victory, flourishing abundance, and agricultural fecundity. Flanking her on either side are two small children. The male child, positioned on the left, reaches upward to grasp the palm branch held by Hilaritas. On the right, a young female child reaches out to clasp the drapery of her gown. This composition transforms a generic celebration of public happiness into a tangible commentary on social welfare and dynastic continuity. Numismatic scholars frequently connect these youthful figures to the imperial alimenta schemes, the subsidized loan and grain distribution systems that supported underprivileged freeborn children across Italian municipalities. By presenting Hilaritas as a nurturing protector of Rome's youth, the imagery underscored that the enduring happiness of the Roman people depended upon social replenishment and imperial generosity.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The epigraphy of RIC 988 provides the primary diagnostic evidence for its chronological placement. The obverse legend reads HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P, arranged continuously along the flan's edge. The inclusion of the honorific title P P (Pater Patriae) serves as a critical terminus post quem, proving that the type was struck after Hadrian's acceptance of the title in the first half of AD 128. The reverse legend is divided into three distinct textual components: the primary upper legend HILARITAS P R, the exergual inscription COS III, and the senatorial formula S C in the lateral fields. HILARITAS P R expands to Hilaritas Populi Romani, explicitly dedicating the personified joy to the collective body of Roman citizens. In the lower exergue, COS III refers to Hadrian's third consulship, which he assumed in AD 119 and held for the remainder of his life without renewing. Because Hadrian never took a fourth consulship, this iteration of the title appears continuously on coins struck between AD 119 and his death in AD 138, rendering the obverse's P P essential for establishing the narrower date range. The letters S C (Senatus Consulto) reaffirm the traditional senatorial sanction governing metropolitan bronze currency.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the foundational twentieth-century classification of Roman Imperial Coinage by Mattingly and Sydenham, Hadrian's bronze coinage was broadly grouped under general consular headings. However, the comprehensive revision by Richard Abdy and Peter F. Stannard in RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) established a far more rigorous chronological sequence based on obverse legend formulas, portrait styles, and titulature evolution. Type 988 is categorized under the Rome mint issues of AD 128-129, immediately following the adoption of the Pater Patriae title on bronze coinage. It is closely affiliated with adjacent typological numbers in the second edition: RIC 987 shares the Hilaritas reverse but exhibits drapery on the obverse bust, while RIC 989 and 990 present variations in bust attire or reverse drapery arrangements. Parallel reverses were also struck on Middle Bronze denominations (dupondii and asses), though the sestertius remained the preeminent medium for the full iconographic scene with both flanking children. The specific type designated as RIC 988 is defined strictly by the combination of the laureate bare-necked head right, the HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P legend, and the standing Hilaritas reverse with two children and COS III in the exergue.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Evidence

Once released from the mint of Rome, sestertii of Hadrian entered deep circulation pools across the western provinces, including Britannia, Gallia, the Germanies, and the Iberian Peninsula, as well as throughout central and southern Italia. Because the sestertius carried substantial purchasing power, roughly equivalent to several days' subsistence wages for an ordinary laborer, it saw frequent handling in daily market commerce. Archaeological findspots in military vici, legionary fortresses, and major urban centers reveal that Hadrianic sestertii circulated actively for several generations. Due to the high quality of orichalcum metalwork, these coins remained in use well into the late second and early third centuries AD, often enduring until the monetary upheavals and progressive debasement of the Severan and mid-third-century crises led to their widespread attrition, secondary hoarding, or official melting. Many surviving examples of RIC 988 exhibit moderate to heavy surface wear consistent with extended circulation, alongside the dark green or brown patination typical of copper-alloy artifacts recovered from European soil contexts.

References

1. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II, Part 3: From Hadrian to Antoninus Pius (AD 117-138): Hadrian. pp. 165-172, no. 988
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. 445-450
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 988. Type 988
4. Untersuchungen zur romischen Reichspragung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil II: Die Reichspragung zur Zeit des Hadrian. pp. 110-118