Hadrian Sestertius, RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 737

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

Under the High Roman Empire, the monetary system established by Augustus remained fundamentally intact, organized hierarchically from gold aurei and silver denarii down to base-metal token denominations. Within this framework, the sestertius represented the fundamental unit of Roman account and served as the flagship denomination of daily commerce. Valued at one-quarter of a denarius or four copper asses, the sestertius was struck in orichalcum, a golden-hued zinc-copper brass alloy that immediately differentiated it from pure copper fractions. Because of its expansive flan, measuring typically between 31 and 34 millimeters, the sestertius functioned as the preeminent visual vehicle for imperial messaging. Coins produced under Hadrian between AD 124 and AD 125, such as the issue designated as RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 737, reflect an era of monetary stabilization and intense civic communication. The vast purchasing power of sestertii in civilian markets, troop stipends, and infrastructural contracts ensured that the imagery struck upon these heavy brass planchets reached a wide and socially varied audience across the empire.

Production Standards and Minting at Rome

The entire regular series of orichalcum sestertii bearing the EXPED AVG reverse type was manufactured by the central imperial mint in Rome. During the middle years of Hadrian's reign, the Rome mint operated with sophisticated administrative and technical specialization, organizing die-cutters, flan-casters, and striking teams into distinct officinae. Flan preparation for the sestertius required precise alloying of copper with calamine ore to produce orichalcum, which gave newly struck pieces a bright golden luster. Blanks were cast in individual or interconnected moulds before being hammered between heavy hand-carved steel dies. Hadrianic sestertii of this period exhibit average weight standards ranging approximately between 24 and 28 grams, though individual surviving specimens naturally vary due to flan-casting tolerances and centuries of circulation wear. Die alignment for Rome base-metal issues was predominantly struck with an upright or near-upright vertical axis, usually at six or twelve o'clock, demonstrating the rigid quality control maintained by the mint's staff.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 737 displays a right-facing, laureate head of Hadrian. By AD 124, the Rome mint had fully developed the mature portraiture of the emperor, abandoning the dynamic Trajanic stylistic echoes that marked his earliest accession issues. Hadrian is depicted with his characteristic neatly curled hair and full, trimmed Greek-style beard, a stylistic departure from previous imperial norms that conveyed philhellenic cultural sophistication alongside philosophical gravitas. The laurel wreath rests securely upon his head, tied at the nape with ribbon ends that drape gently downward over his neck. The portraiture is rendered in medium-to-high relief, emphasizing a firm jaw, prominent brow, and contemplative facial expression. The absence of heavy military drapery or a cuirass on this specific catalogue type highlights the civic and administrative dignity of the Princeps, focusing viewer attention directly on the imperial countenance.

Reverse Design and the Expeditio Motif

The reverse of this sestertius is dominated by a lively equestrian scene depicting Hadrian on horseback. The emperor is shown riding toward the right, seated upright upon a galloping or actively advancing steed. Hadrian wears a traveling tunic and mantle, and his right arm is raised outward in a decisive gesture that combines imperial greeting, military salutation (adlocutio), and dynamic forward progression. The mount is depicted with energetic anatomy, displaying lifted forelegs and an arched neck that conveys purposeful momentum. In the lower field beneath the horse, the exergue is inscribed with the legend EXPED AVG, while the senatorial authorization formula S C is set into the open field flanking the equestrian figure. This motif of the Expeditio Augusti explicitly commemorates the departure of the emperor on an imperial tour. Hadrian's reign was characterized by unprecedented travel across every corner of the Roman world; this reverse encapsulates the ideology of an active, vigilant ruler personally journeying across the provinces to inspect garrisons, establish defensive lines, and supervise regional administrations.

Epigraphy and Inscriptional Analysis

The legends on RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 737 demonstrate the dramatic epigraphic simplification introduced at the Rome mint around AD 123 to AD 124. The obverse legend reads simply HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, oriented clockwise from the lower left. This concise formula dispensed with the extensive ancestral lineage (divi Traiani filius) and protracted honorifics that crowded Hadrian's early coinage, presenting the ruler under his fundamental civil and constitutional titles. On the reverse, the upper peripheral legend records COS III, noting Hadrian's third consulship, which he entered in AD 119 and held for the remainder of his life without renewing the office. In the exergue beneath the baseline, the legend EXPED AVG abbreviates Expeditio Augusti, translating directly as 'the expedition of the Emperor'. Flanking the horse in the central field, the large letters S C (Senatus Consulto) signify the formal sanction of the Roman Senate, the traditional constitutional hallmark required on all regular imperial base-metal currency issued at Rome.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

In the revised typology established by Richard Abdy and Peter Harling in the second edition of Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC II, Part 3, 2019), Hadrian 737 is categorized within Group 3 of the Rome mint's bronze output, securely datable to AD 124-125. This placement is confirmed by the combination of the simplified HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS obverse legend and the EXPED AVG reverse theme. Hadrian undertook two monumental journeys during his principate; the first major circuit occurred from AD 121 to AD 125, and the second from AD 128 to AD 134. Coins struck with EXPED AVG around AD 124 commemorate the ongoing travels or secondary departures associated with his progress through the Danubian provinces, Greece, and Asia Minor during the culmination of his first tour. The type is closely related to companion issues depicting Hadrian addressing troops (adlocutio) or receiving crowns from provinces (adventus), forming an integrated visual program that defined imperial power through perpetual mobility and provincial engagement.

Circulation Patterns and Monetary Life

Following its manufacture in Rome, sestertii of the EXPED AVG type entered into active circulation throughout Italy and the provinces of the Roman West. Archaeological findspots, hoard evidence, and site strata from Roman Britain, the Rhine-Danube military limes, and the Gallic provinces demonstrate that large orichalcum denominations moved rapidly along military supply corridors and major trade routes. Due to the high intrinsic and commercial value of sestertii relative to smaller bronze quadrantes and asses, they were retained in circulation for extensive periods, frequently remaining in use for several decades after striking. While silver denarii and gold aurei often moved across external borders through diplomacy or trade, heavy orichalcum sestertii circulated primarily within the interior economic infrastructure of the empire. Over decades of hand-to-hand transactions, the golden tone of the orichalcum developed a dark green, brown, or variegated patina typical of base-metal finds preserved in European soils.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. cliv-clvi, 436-438
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 737. ric.2_3(2).hdn.737
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. II, Part 3: From Hadrian to Antoninus Pius (AD 117-138): Hadrian. pp. 138-142, no. 737
4. Untersuchungen zur römischen Reichsprägung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil II: Die Reichsprägung zur Zeit des Hadrian. pp. 112-118