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Sestertius - Hadrian CLEMENTIA AVG P P COS III S C, Clementia
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 129-130 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Emperor Hadrian facing right, with the paludamentum visible over the left shoulder as viewed from behind, rendered in the naturalistic Hadrianic style with characteristic short curled beard. The effigy is boldly modelled in high relief, occupying the central field of the flan. The circumferential Latin legend is positioned along the rim, framed by an outer border of fine beading. |
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| Obverse lettering | HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS (Translation: Hadrianus Augustus. Hadrian, emperor (Augustus).) |
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| Additional information |
Clementia — imperial clemency — was not merely a virtue Hadrian admired; it was a deliberate political posture. Unlike Trajan, whose reign ran on military conquest, Hadrian abandoned Mesopotamia almost immediately upon accession and spent much of his rule traveling the provinces rather than subduing them. Invoking clementia on coinage around 129–130 aligns precisely with his third consulship and a period of intensive administrative consolidation, projecting restraint as policy rather than weakness.
RIC II.3 1139 is part of the substantial reorganization of Hadrianic bronze coinage documented in the revised second edition — a series that had been significantly misattributed in earlier scholarship.