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Aureus - Hadrian P M TR P COS III, Hercules
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 121-123 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts Hercules standing facing, nude and muscular, positioned centrally within a tetrastyle temple or columned architectural frame resting on a podium. He is flanked by two standing female figures, likely personifications or attendants, one to each side within the colonnade. Beneath the podium, a reclining river god or defeated figure is shown prostrate, symbolising subjugation or triumph. The legend P M TR P COS III is distributed in the field to left and right of the architectural setting. A beaded border frames the entire composition, which is rendered in bold, deeply struck relief characteristic of Hadrianic gold coinage from the Rome Mint. |
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| Mint | Rome Mint |
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| Additional information |
Hadrian's early aurei from 121–123 AD coincide with his first major tour of the provinces — a deliberate political strategy of personal inspection and military consolidation that no preceding emperor had attempted at such scale. The Hercules type almost certainly references Hadrian's well-documented personal identification with the demigod, a theme he cultivated more aggressively than any of his predecessors and would continue to develop through his reign.
RIC II.3 #576 was catalogued as part of the thorough 2007 revision of the second volume, which substantially reorganized earlier attributions for Hadrianic gold.