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Sestertius - Hadrian P M TR P COS III S C, Ceres
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 121-123 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Sestertius = 1/4 Denarius |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate bust of Emperor Hadrian facing right, depicted draped and cuirassed, the drapery visible over the left shoulder with the cuirass viewed from the rear or side. The effigy is rendered in the refined Hadrianic portrait style, with characteristic full beard and idealized facial features. The circumferential Latin legend runs along the outer border of the obverse field. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Hadrian's early sestertii from this period reflect a reign still finding its administrative footing — he had abandoned Trajan's eastern conquests almost immediately upon accession in 117 AD, a decision controversial enough that four senior senators were executed, a purge Hadrian blamed on the Senate itself. The Ceres type belongs to a broader program of divine imagery meant to signal stability and agricultural abundance during a reorientation of imperial priorities from military expansion toward consolidation.
RIC II.3 663 places this issue firmly within the pre-travel coinage, before Hadrian's extensive provincial tours reshaped his minting program after 121.