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Aureus - Hadrian SPES P R, Spes and Fortuna
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 137-138 |
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| Currency | Denarius, Reform of Augustus (27 BC – AD 215) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Mintage | ND (137-138) |
| Additional information |
Struck in the final months of Hadrian's reign, this aureus belongs to a deliberately hopeful emissions program tied to the succession crisis that consumed his last years. After the death of his first chosen heir Aelius Caesar in January 138 AD, Hadrian moved quickly to adopt Antoninus Pius — with the explicit condition that Antoninus in turn adopt Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. The SPES P R legend, "the Hope of the Roman People," was a pointed public statement about dynastic continuity at a moment when it was genuinely in doubt.
Hadrian himself died in July 138, likely before this issue had fully circulated.