Sestertius - Hadrian FELICITATI AVG P P COS III S C, Clementia

The Clementia reverse type appeared across several of Hadrian's sestertius issues during a period when the emperor was actively cultivating an image of measured restraint — a deliberate contrast to the expansionist aggression of Trajan. Hadrian had abandoned the newly conquered territories of Mesopotamia and Armenia shortly after his accession in 117, a decision that scandalized much of the Senate but which he framed as principled moderation rather than weakness. Coins invoking clemency were part of that same political argument, made in bronze and distributed at scale.