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Sestertius - Sabina VENERI GENETRICI S C, Venus
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 136-138 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 25 g |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Sabina facing left, wearing a diadem and stephane, with hair arranged in a queue falling behind the neck. The empress is portrayed in the idealized Hadrianic court style, with fine drapery visible at the shoulder. The encircling Latin legend names her as Augusta and consort of the emperor Hadrian. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Sabina's coinage was minted almost entirely under the direction of Hadrian, who held little apparent affection for his wife — ancient sources, including the Historia Augusta, describe the marriage as openly miserable, with Hadrian reportedly remarking she had done him a favor by remaining childless. The Venus Genetrix type invokes the divine ancestress of the Julian line, a political allusion reaching back to Caesar, here repurposed to project dynastic piety Hadrian's court required regardless of domestic reality.
Sabina was deified shortly after her death in 136 or 137 AD, possibly before it — the circumstances remain disputed.