Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
Sestertius - Hadrian FELICITAS AVG S C, Felicitas
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 136 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Sestertius = 1/4 Denarius |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Emperor Hadrian facing right, rendered with his characteristic full beard and finely articulated hair crowned with a laurel wreath, viewed from the rear or side. The imperial effigy is executed in high relief with strong naturalistic modelling of the facial features, consistent with the Hadrianic philhellenic portrait tradition. The encircling Latin legend reads HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, distributed around the periphery of the flan. The overall composition reflects the refined classicising style prevalent in Rome's mint production during the mid-Hadrianic period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | ND (136) |
| Additional information |
Hadrian's FELICITAS issues of 136 AD belong to a broader propaganda campaign tied to his extensive provincial tours — the most ambitious undertaken by any Roman emperor — during which he personally inspected legions, founded cities, and distributed largesse. The felicitas being celebrated was not abstract good fortune but a specific political claim: that prosperity flowed directly from the emperor's active presence and governance rather than from Rome itself.
By 136, Hadrian was gravely ill and preoccupied with the succession crisis that would consume his final years. The optimistic messaging of this coinage sits in sharp contrast to the political turbulence surrounding it.