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Denarius - Hadrian P M TR P COS III, Genius
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 121-123 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Bare-shouldered, laureate and draped bust of Hadrian facing right, rendered with fine portraiture characteristic of the Hadrianic period, including a short beard and distinctly curled hair. The effigy displays the emperor's paludamentum fastened at the right shoulder, visible at the bust's truncation. The surrounding circular legend reads IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, incuse in relief against the flat field. The engraving exhibits high artistic quality, with strong three-dimensional modeling of facial features typical of Rome's mint output in the early second century AD. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Hadrian's early coinage after assuming the consulship for the third time in 119 AD reflects a deliberate program of legitimizing his reign following the contentious executions of four senior senators — an act that had nearly cost him ratification by the Senate. The Genius type belongs to a broader religious iconographic campaign Hadrian deployed across multiple denominations in these years, projecting pietas and divine favor at a moment when his relationship with the senatorial class remained genuinely fragile.
RIC II.3 #532 was part of the comprehensive re-cataloguing under the revised second edition, which substantially reorganized and renumbered Hadrianic issues from the earlier RIC II classification.