Æ33 - Hadrian L Β

Year two of Hadrian's reign — designated by the regnal year marker LΒ — began almost immediately after Trajan died in Cilicia in August 117, leaving Hadrian to inherit an empire badly overstretched by his predecessor's eastern campaigns. The Alexandrian mint wasted no time issuing bronze coinage in his name, likely as a political signal of continuity in Egypt's administratively sensitive province. At 19.92 grams, this piece sits at the heavier end of surviving LΒ examples, suggesting an early strike before the mint adjusted its flans.