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Aureus - Hadrian P M TR P COS III, Hercules
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 121-123 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Bare-shouldered, laureate bust of Emperor Hadrian facing right, rendered in the fine high-relief style characteristic of early Hadrianic coinage. The emperor's curly hair and short beard are rendered with naturalistic detail, the laurel wreath firmly set upon the brow. The encircling Latin legend runs clockwise around the periphery of the flan, framed by a beaded border. The portrait conveys imperial authority with a confident, slightly idealized physiognomy typical of Rome's mint workshops in the early second century AD. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG (Translation: Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus. Supreme commander (Imperator), Caesar, Trajan Hadrian, emperor (Augustus).) |
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| Additional information |
Hadrian's third consulship, held from 119 AD, marked the consolidation of his domestic authority after years spent on the road touring the provinces. The Hercules type issued under this consulship belongs to a broader program of divine associations Hadrian cultivated deliberately — he identified personally with the hero and used coinage to broadcast that connection to an empire-wide audience. The aurei from this window are struck to a standard that reflects the mint's careful management of bullion under Hadrian's administrative reforms.
RIC II.3 #575 is among the types documented in the major recension of Roman Imperial Coinage that substantially revised earlier attributions for Hadrianic gold.