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Sestertius - Hadrian SPES P R S C, Spes
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 137-138 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 25 g |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Emperor Hadrian facing right, with the characteristic full beard rendered in fine detail, the paludamentum fastened at the shoulder and visible from the rear. The effigy is rendered in high relief with strong portraiture typical of late Hadrianic coinage. The encircling legend runs clockwise around the obverse field. The broad, slightly irregular flan is characteristic of hammered sestertii of the period. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Struck in the final months of Hadrian's reign, when the emperor was gravely ill at Baiae and the succession had already passed to Antoninus Pius. The SPES P R — "Hope of the Roman People" — legend almost certainly references that dynastic transition rather than any military campaign or foreign policy goal. Hadrian died in July 138, making this among the last issues produced under his authority.