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Æ15 - Hadrian ΑΛΕΞ, L ΙΑ
| Issuer | Alexandria (Egypt) |
|---|---|
| Year | 117-138 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.03 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | A hippopotamus stands in profile facing right, its massive body rendered in low relief with sturdy legs and characteristic broad muzzle, occupying the central field of the coin. Above the animal, the Greek legend ΑΛΕΞ appears, while the regnal year date L ΙΑ (Year 11) is placed in the field, all enclosed within a dotted border. The hippopotamus, sacred to the Egyptian god Set and emblematic of the Nile, was a recurring type on Alexandrian provincial bronzes, evoking the distinctive fauna and religious iconography of Roman Egypt. |
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| Additional information |
Alexandria's municipal bronze issues under Hadrian were dated by regnal year using the Egyptian calendar, making precise attribution straightforward — L ΙΑ places this piece in year 11, corresponding to 126/127 AD. Hadrian visited Egypt in person that year, arriving in late 130, though his earlier administrative attention to the province is well documented. The small module reflects Alexandria's tiered local coinage rather than the imperial system, circulating for petty transactions in the most populous city in the Roman world outside Rome itself.