Hadrian Sestertius, RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 2118

Monetary Context and Denominational System

The sestertius occupied a central structural role within the Roman imperial monetary system standardized during the Augustan monetary reform. Valued at four asses, two dupondii, or one quarter of a silver denarius, the denomination represented the standard unit of account for Roman public finance, census assessments, official contracts, and large-scale domestic transactions. Unlike the pure copper asses and quadrantes, the sestertius was traditionally manufactured from orichalcum, a golden-toned brass alloy composed primarily of copper and zinc. By the reign of Hadrian (AD 117 to 138), the zinc content of imperial brass had experienced a gradual, well-documented metallurgical decline compared to early Julio-Claudian issues, often reflecting the remelting of older brass flans and the addition of recycled scrap bronze. Despite this ongoing technical shift in alloy purity, the sestertius retained its privileged status as the principal showcase denomination of the imperial mint at Rome, offering the largest available surface area for elaborate royal portraiture, complex civic personifications, and programmatic political declarations.

Production Technology and Mint Attribution

Catalogued under the updated classification system as RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 2118, this sestertius was manufactured exclusively at the primary imperial mint in Rome. Production involved heating cast disc-shaped orichalcum flans before striking them between hand-engraved hardened bronze or iron dies. The mint operated under the general oversight of the procurator monetae, employing organized workshops or officinae staffed by skilled cutters, flan casters, aligners, and strikers. Striking standards for sestertii in the middle to late 130s AD targeted a nominal weight around 25 to 28 grams with typical diameters between 31 and 34 millimeters, though individual specimens vary depending on mechanical wear, flan preparation, and natural corrosion. The physical execution demonstrates the high classicizing aesthetic that defined the Rome mint during the Hadrianic period, characterized by restrained facial modeling, clear letterforms, and carefully balanced spatial composition on both faces.

Obverse Typology and Imperial Iconography

The obverse face of RIC II.3 2118 presents a refined, right-facing portrait bust of Hadrian. The emperor is depicted laureate, with the laurel wreath tied neatly at the nape of the neck, and draped across the bust, viewed either from the rear or the three-quarters side. Hadrianic portraiture departed fundamentally from the clean-shaven tradition of his Flavian and Julio-Claudian predecessors by maintaining a closely trimmed, curled Greek-style beard and luxuriant hair. In the late period between AD 133 and 135, portraits of the princeps convey psychological gravity and advancing age, reflecting an experienced administrator who had traversed the perimeter of the empire. The viewing angle, exhibiting drapery folds across the shoulder and the muscular contours of the upper back and neck, enhances the three-dimensional presence of the imperial figure while underscoring Hadrian's dignity as supreme military commander and chief civil magistrate.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse type displays Fortuna standing facing left, functioning as a personification of good fortune and imperial success. She is clothed in traditional chiton and himation, holding a patera in her extended right hand and supporting an upright, fruit-laden cornucopia in her left arm. The patera, a shallow sacrificial libation bowl, connects the personification to ritual piety and divine thank-offerings, while the horn of abundance signifies prosperity, material plenty, and peaceful harvests throughout the provinces. The presence of the letters S and C, situated across the left and right fields, denotes Senatus Consulto, acknowledging the constitutional fiction that brass and copper coinage was struck under the authority of the Roman Senate. Through the association of Fortuna with the imperial title, the coin proclaims Fortuna Augusti: the providential destiny and enduring blessing that accompanied the person of the emperor and safeguarded the welfare of the Roman commonwealth.

Epigraphy and Legend Readings

The obverse legend reads continuously clockwise around the flan: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P. This condensed sequence expands to Hadrianus Augustus, Consul Tertium, Pater Patriae. It reflects Hadrian's entry into his third consulship in AD 119, a title he retained without taking subsequent ordinary consulships for the remainder of his life, and his formal acceptance of the title Pater Patriae (Father of his Country) in AD 128. The relocation of the entire titular sequence to the obverse perimeter is characteristic of Hadrian's later administrative reforms in mint practice, replacing the sprawling, fragmented titles used earlier in the reign. On the reverse, the legend is strictly FORTVNA AVG, expanding to Fortuna Augusti, accompanied by the field mark S C. The lettering exhibits standard imperial lapidary forms, using tall, narrow capitals with crisp serifs designed for optimal legibility within the bead-and-reel or dotted outer borders.

Chronological Framework and Typological Variants

In the chronological arrangement established by the second edition of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume II, Part 3, this type is securely dated between AD 133 and AD 135. This late dating is derived from stylistic alignment with the broader late third-consulship series, which witnessed the introduction of consolidated obverse legends featuring P P and mature portraits alongside thematic sequences dedicated to provincial visits, imperial adventus ceremonies, and civic virtues. RIC II.3 2118 is specifically categorized by its precise drapery configuration: the laureate bust draped right, viewed from the rear or side. Adjacent catalogue entries encompass closely related varieties with differing bust treatments, such as bareheaded portraits, cuirassed variants, or alternative Fortuna stances incorporating a rudder or wheel. The distinction between these catalogued variants illustrates the deliberate flexibility exercised by die-engravers in rendering the official imperial image across concurrent production batches.

Circulation, Hoards, and Archaeological Distribution

As a principal denomination of everyday commerce, sestertii of Hadrian circulated extensively throughout the Mediterranean world and the European frontier provinces. The token nature of orichalcum coinage allowed it to remain in circulation for decades, frequently passing through commerce into the Antonine and Severan eras until severe physical wear effaced the details of the portrait and legends. Archaeological finds from military sites along the Rhine and Danube frontiers, urban excavations in Italia, Gallia, and Hispania, and civilian hoards across Roman Britain regularly include sestertii of the late third-consulship series. The wear profiles observed on recovered examples demonstrate that issues bearing Fortuna Augusti experienced long-term velocity in local markets, playing an integral role in small-scale market transactions, taxation payments, and military camp provisioning across the empire.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. cxl-clvii, 450-485
2. The Metallurgy of Roman Silver and Base Metal Coinage. pp. 523-535
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE): RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 2118. Type ric.2_3(2).hdn.2118
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II, Part 3: From Hadrian to Antoninus Pius (AD 117-138) - Hadrian. pp. 165-172, no. 2118