Year 21 of Hadrian's reign fell just before his death in 138 AD, by which point the emperor had spent more time traveling his provinces than residing in Rome — Egypt included, where his 130 AD visit prompted a burst of commemorative Alexandrian coinage. The billon tetradrachm series from this late regnal period is notably consistent in execution, the Alexandria mint having refined its production rhythm across two decades of continuous imperial portraiture.
The L ΚΑ (year 21) issues are among the last struck in Hadrian's name before the mint transitioned to Antoninus Pius types.
Year 21 of Hadrian's reign fell just before his death in 138 AD, by which point the emperor had spent more time traveling his provinces than residing in Rome — Egypt included, where his 130 AD visit prompted a burst of commemorative Alexandrian coinage. The billon tetradrachm series from this late regnal period is notably consistent in execution, the Alexandria mint having refined its production rhythm across two decades of continuous imperial portraiture.
The L ΚΑ (year 21) issues are among the last struck in Hadrian's name before the mint transitioned to Antoninus Pius types.