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Æ33 - Hadrian L Ϛ
| Issuer | Alexandria (Egypt) |
|---|---|
| Year | 121-122 |
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| Composition | Bronze |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Emperor Hadrian, laureate and togate, standing erect in a quadriga drawn by four elephants advancing to the right, holding an eagle-tipped sceptre in one hand and a branch in the other. Above the composition, the winged figure of Nike flies in the field, lending the scene a triumphal character. The date regnal formula appears in the field. The design reflects the grand imperial iconography associated with Alexandrian bronze issues of the Hadrianic era, evoking themes of triumph and divine favour. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Year 6 of Hadrian's reign in Egypt — the regnal year Ϛ marked on this issue — falls precisely within his celebrated tour of the eastern provinces, which began around 121 AD. Alexandria's mint was unusually responsive to imperial visits, adjusting types rapidly to flatter arriving emperors. Whether Hadrian had already reached Egypt by this striking is debated; he didn't arrive in Alexandria itself until 130 AD, but the administrative machinery of the nome clearly anticipated and acknowledged his eastern presence years earlier.
The Alexandrian bronze series of this period is notorious for inconsistent fabric, and 18g for a 33mm piece suggests a somewhat light flan by the standards of the type.