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Hemidrachm - Hadrian Mount Argaeus
| Issuer | Caesarea |
|---|---|
| Year | 119-120 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | RPC III#3071 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The agalma (sacred cult image) of Mount Argaeus depicted as a rocky mountain surmounted by the standing figure of Helios, who raises one arm aloft holding a sceptre or globe, rendered in a schematic provincial style. The mountain is shown with craggy outcrops at its base. The regnal year date ET-Δ (Year 4) is inscribed across the field to either side of the central device, confirming the issue year of Hadrian's reign. This iconic reverse type is closely associated with Caesarea in Cappadocia, where Mount Argaeus (modern Erciyes Dağı) held deep religious significance. |
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| Mint | Caesarea, Cappadocia |
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| Additional information |
Caesarea in Cappadocia — the former Eusebeia — operated as one of the few provincial mints authorized to strike silver under Roman imperial oversight, a privilege tied directly to the region's role supplying and paying the eastern legions. Hadrian visited Cappadocia in 123 AD on his sweeping eastern tour, inspecting the frontier and reorganizing troop dispositions along the Euphrates. The Mount Argaeus type on Caesarean issues predates that visit, already well-established as the city's civic identity — the volcanic peak was considered sacred and appeared on local coinage continuously from the Hellenistic period through the third century.