Hadrian Denarius RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 855

Monetary Context and Imperial Policy

During the middle years of Hadrian's reign in the mid-120s AD, the imperial Roman denarius functioned as the central silver accounting and transactional denomination of the empire. Retaining the broad metrological standards stabilized under Trajan, the Hadrianic denarius was struck at an average gross mass of roughly 3.15 to 3.35 grams, with a theoretical target near 1/96 of a Roman pound (libra). Its silver fineness hovered between 80 and 85 percent, with copper making up the balance of the metallurgical alloy. This predictable standard allowed the denarius to facilitate complex urban market transactions in Rome, imperial tax collections across the Mediterranean provinces, and major state disbursements such as legions' pay and civil administrative salaries. The issuance of type RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 855 coincided with a period of administrative consolidation in Rome. Having undertaken extensive tours of the western and eastern provinces between AD 121 and AD 125, Hadrian oversaw intensive public infrastructure projects upon his return to Italy. The grain supply of Rome, managed by the praefectus annonae under direct imperial oversight, was critical to urban stability and social peace. By issuing denarii highlighting the grain harvest and state storage provisions, the administration reinforced public confidence in the regime's capability to provision the imperial capital amidst ongoing architectural expansions and military deployments.

Production and Mint Organization

All regular imperial denarii of this typology were produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint located in Rome. By the AD 120s, the Rome mint was organized into specialized workshops, or officinae, that operated under centralized bureaucratic supervision to ensure uniformity of weight, metal alloy, and iconography. Engravers at Rome had attained exceptional technical proficiency, producing dies with consistent relief, crisp lettering, and anatomically proportional portraiture that defined the mature Hadrianic style. Blank silver flans were prepared using stone or terracotta molds, followed by hot-striking between handheld bronze or iron dies. The survival of multiple reverse die varieties within the series demonstrates that the mint deployed several active anvil and punch dies concurrently. While minor variations in flan thickness, centering, and die alignment occur naturally in surviving specimens, the strict oversight of the triumviri monetales and their administrative staff maintained tight adherence to official imperial prototypes.

Obverse Iconography and Epigraphy

The obverse of RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 855 displays the mature portrait of Hadrian, facing right and crowned with a laurel wreath. Hadrian's introduction of a full, neatly trimmed philosopher's beard marked a deliberate departure from the clean-shaven tradition of the Julio-Claudian, Flavian, and Trajanic eras, signaling an alignment with Hellenic cultural ideals and intellectual gravitas. The laurel wreath is tied at the occiput with two ribbons (taeniae) falling behind the neck, rendered with delicate sculptural detail in the locks of hair. Enclosing the portrait is the continuous legend HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, reading clockwise starting from the lower left. This reduced obverse legend replaced the verbose formulaic titles of Hadrian's early reign, omitting the explicit mention of divine ancestry (DIVI TRAIANI AVG F) and his tria nomina. This deliberate simplification of the imperial name, introduced around AD 124 to AD 125, focused visual attention directly on the persona of Hadrian as Augustus.

Reverse Iconography and Attributes

The reverse composition presents a draped female personification seated toward the left upon a backless seat or stool. In modern cataloguing traditions, she is identified interchangeably as Annona or Abundantia, embodying the prosperity and abundance guaranteed by the state grain distribution network. In her extended right hand, she holds a curved reaping hook or sickle, symbolic of the harvest. In her left arm, she cradles a cornucopia overflowing with fruits, signaling divine blessing and bounty. At her feet to the left sits an upright modius, the traditional Roman dry-measure vessel, out of which emerge upright ears of grain (spicae). This specific attribute directly links the abstract virtue of divine abundance to the institutional reality of the Roman grain dole (frumentatio). In certain die variants, the exergue is left plain, while in others a small rounded object, interpreted as an exergual element or globe, appears beneath the groundline. The execution of the drapery follows classical Greek stylistic models, with deep parallel folds cascading across the seated figure's legs.

Epigraphic Readings and Political Messaging

The reverse inscription is restricted to the succinct title COS III, signifying Hadrian's third consulship. Hadrian entered his third ordinary consulship on January 1, AD 119, serving alongside Publius Dasumius Rusticus. Following historical precedent set by Augustus and several later emperors, Hadrian declined all subsequent appointments to the consulship. Consequently, COS III remained a static element of his titular nomenclature until his death in AD 138. When read in tandem with the obverse HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, the combined epigraphic program presents a minimalist statement: 'Hadrianus Augustus, Consul for the third time.' By eliminating the customary republican magistracies such as tribunicia potestate (TR P) and the title Pater Patriae (P P) from this specific issue, the imperial mint produced an uncluttered, authoritative legend that prioritized visual clarity. The pairing of the permanent consular title with the imagery of Annona attributed the continuing provisioning of Rome directly to Hadrian's civic oversight.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the pioneering work of Paul Strack and Harold Mattingly in the early twentieth century, Hadrian's silver coinage was divided into broad groups based on legend progression. Under the original Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC II) framework, this reverse type was grouped loosely within the broad AD 125 to AD 128 issue period under RIC 171. However, the comprehensive revision by Richard Abdy and Peter F. Mittag in Roman Imperial Coinage Volume II, Part 3 (second edition, 2019) reorganized the chronology with greater precision. Within the revised second-edition classification, RIC 855 is securely dated to the narrower interval of AD 126 to AD 127. This placement is confirmed by hoard contexts, sequential die links, and stylistic affinities with the 'Hadrianus Augustus' bronze and gold issues struck immediately prior to Hadrian's formal acceptance of the title Pater Patriae in AD 127 or AD 128. RIC II.3 855 is distinguished from closely related types by its specific combination of the seated Annona holding the reaping hook, the modius at her feet, the COS III reverse legend, and the absence of any trailing P P titular suffix.

Circulation, Hoards, and Archaeological Context

Denarii of type RIC II.3 855 circulated widely across the Roman Mediterranean and frontier zones, functioning as stable bullion-backed currency for decades after their initial release. Due to the consistency of Hadrianic silver alloy standards, these coins were regularly accepted alongside Trajanic and Antonine silver. Hoard evidence from western provinces including Britannia, Germania Superior, and Gallia Belgica indicates that these denarii remained in active commercial circulation well into the early third century AD, frequently appearing in hoards deposited during the reigns of Septimius Severus and Caracalla. Archaeological finds from site deposits along military encampments on the northern limes demonstrate that denarii struck at Rome were rapidly channeled outward via legionary stipendium shipments. Over decades of handling, many specimens experienced substantial mechanical wear, but their initial deep engraving ensured that key diagnostic elements such as the modius, cornucopia, and consular inscription remained legible throughout prolonged circulation.

References

1. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II, Part 3: From Hadrian to Antoninus Pius (AD 117-138): Hadrian. pp. 110-145, no. 855
2. The Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coinage: From the Reforms of Nero to the Reform of Trajan Decius. pp. 210-245
3. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum (BMCRE), Volume III: Nerva to Hadrian. pp. 260-310
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 855. Type ric.2_3(2).hdn.855
5. Untersuchungen zur romischen Reichspragung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil II: Die Reichspragung zur Zeit des Hadrian. nos. 140-180