Quinarius Aureus - Hadrian P M TR P COS III, Victory

The quinarius aureus — struck at half the weight of a standard aureus — was never a common denomination, and Hadrian's use of it remains something of a puzzle. His issues in this format cluster around the early 120s, a period when he was consolidating legitimacy after the controversial executions of four senior senators at his accession in 117. The COS III dating places this firmly in his third consulship, held without interruption from 119 onward.

RIC II.3 #336 is among the better-documented of his quinarii aurei, but the denomination's limited production run means die links across the series are tight and specimens rarely appear in volume.