Sestertius - Hadrian COS III S C, Neptune

Hadrian's extended COS III tenure, running from 119 AD until his death, was the administrative backdrop for a sustained and unusually coherent bronze coinage program. The Neptune types from the 125–127 window almost certainly connect to Hadrian's well-documented obsession with sea travel — he crossed the Mediterranean repeatedly during his provincial tours, and ancient sources note his particular reverence for maritime deities. Whether the type reflects a specific voyage or a broader programmatic religiosity is genuinely debated among specialists.

RIC II.3 #814 sits in a heavily revised numbering sequence from the 2007 Mairat reclassification, superseding the older Mattingly-Sydenham attributions many earlier collection records still carry.