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Æ34 - Hadrian L Β
| Issuer | Alexandria (Egypt) |
|---|---|
| Year | 117-118 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | The god Nilus reclines to the left upon a hippopotamus, his body shown in a relaxed pose characteristic of Alexandrian river-deity iconography. He holds a reed in one hand and a cornucopia in the other, symbols of the Nile's fertility and abundance. The date regnal formula appears in the field, indicating the second year of Hadrian's reign. The composition reflects the strong Hellenistic artistic tradition maintained by the Alexandrian mint. A beaded border frames the reverse field. |
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| Additional information |
This piece dates to Hadrian's first regnal year in Egypt — a politically charged moment. He had just inherited power from Trajan under circumstances suspicious enough that the Praetorian prefect Attianus allegedly arranged the elimination of four senior senators before Hadrian could even reach Rome. Egypt, as an imperial province controlled directly by the emperor and barred from senatorial governance since Augustus, was among the first mints to acknowledge the new reign. The "L Β" dating formula marks this as year two of the Egyptian calendar reckoning, which overlapped with the transition period of 117–118 CE.