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Author Topic: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian  (Read 9129 times)

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Offline curtislclay

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An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« on: June 07, 2007, 02:01:15 am »
I lucked into the following interesting piece, which would usually be out of my league, because it was miscatalogued as a Renaissance imitation!

IMP CAESAR HADRI - ANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate bust of Hadrian r., almost half-length, wearing aegis attached over shoulders and hanging down over naked back and chest, Medusa head on front portion.

COS III P P, Victory in biga of horses springing r., she holds reins in lowered r. hand and a whip in extended l. hand, behind and above her l. arm one sees her second wing.

38 mm, orichalcum, 40.76 gr., axis 12h.  Slightly smoothed on obv., dark green/brown patina on reverse.  See dealer photo below.  Ex M. Ratto 1955, Giorgio Georgi CollectionGnecchi 15, pl. 38.9, lists one spec. only, in Paris, from the same pair of dies.

Both dies of this medallion are interesting.  Starting with the reverse die, it was originally engraved to go with an obv. naming Hadrian HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, as in the second image below.  These titles, HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS / COS III P P, also characterize an issue of normal coins, which probably was produced c. 129-131 AD, assuming an even production of denarii year by year over the period 128-138.

Curtis Clay

Offline curtislclay

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2007, 02:32:18 am »
Now comes the fun:  as first observed, I think, by Peter Robert Franke in 1975, the same rev. die was later used on two occasions in the reign of Hadrian's successor Antoninus Pius, each time with alterations!

1.  For Antoninus Pius himself early in 139, image 3 below.  Since Antoninus was now only COS II and not yet P P, the small letters of Hadrian's legend COS III P P had to be removed, which was accomplished by writing Antoninus' correct titles in large letters over them, P M TR POT / COS II.

2.  After Antoninus' wife Faustina I died and was consecrated in 141, the same rev. die was reused for her too, image 4 below.  The entire legend of Antoninus was simply cut away, leaving as it were a platform below the biga; and the figure of Victory was recut into one of Faustina herself with a veil billowing over her head, obviously being transported to heaven in the biga!  This is real alteration of the die, not mere modern tooling: the specimen illustrated was in Gnecchi's collection and was dug up in Rome in 1895-6, and Gnecchi cites a second specimen in a smaller German museum collection (Wiesbaden).
Curtis Clay

Offline curtislclay

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2007, 03:15:06 am »
We have, then, three certain dates for the use of this reverse die: c. 130 for Hadrian, early 139 for Antoninus, and after 141 for Diva Faustina I.  What can we conclude about the date of my new piece, of Hadrian with the legend IMP CAESAR HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P?

The Paris specimen of this very medallion was the crux of Margret Pond Rothman's theory, in ANS Museum Notes 23 (1978), that a large number of apparent medallions of Hadrian were actually struck posthumously for him by Antoninus Pius.  Our rev. die was definitely still existent in 139, and that long obv. legend of Hadrian is one that never appears on his ordinary coins; we may conclude, according to Rothman, that Antoninus must have struck this medallion posthumously for Hadrian in the latter half of 138 or early in 139.

No!  Nothing about this medallion requires an Antonine date: Hadrian is not Divus, and there is no reference to Hadrian's death or the accession of Antoninus.  It is virtually certain that this medallion must have been struck by Hadrian himself, sometime between c. 130 when the rev. die was created, and Hadrian's death in July 138. 

Hadrian's coin legend of these years was first HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS / COS III P P, as on the second medallion in my first posting, then HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, all on the obverse.  On this exceptional medallion obv. die, the standard opening titles IMP CAESAR were added to the legend of the coins, because extra space was available on the large die.  The new obv. die was coupled with an existing rev. die which superfluously repeated COS III P P from the obv. legend; such anomalies are not rare on medallions, which were struck mainly in small issues in c. December of each year for use as New Year's presents, and whose dies might survive from one issue to the next and be coupled in strange new combinations.

This extraordinary deep, nude, bust of the emperor wearing aegis draped over chest and back is found several other times on Roman medallions or medallic coins:  namely on a medallic sestertius of Trajan, and on large bronze medallions of Marcus Aurelius as Caesar, Commodus as Caesar, and Gallienus.


Curtis Clay

Offline maridvnvm

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2007, 06:04:43 am »
Wow, what an incredible find. To see the evolution of the reverse die is fascinating. The die can't have been used enought to cause any wear but enough effort had been used in the creation to warrant re-use and modification rather than creating a fresh die.
Thanks for sharing what for many of us would surely be something we could only dream of obtaining.
Regards,
Martin

Offline quisquam

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2007, 11:57:31 am »
Hard to believe that a die was stored 10 years or more and recycled from time to time. I didn't know such things happened. Fascinating, thank you for sharing your discovery and background-info.
Is it an illusion or do I see centration dimples???

Stefan

Offline curtislclay

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2007, 12:23:41 pm »
Just surface flaws, not centration dimples: just above the aegis clasp on obverse, and a small pit on the belly of the horse in foreground on reverse.

I did recently notice true centration dimples and concentric circles around them on an orichalcum medallion of Tacitus of the mint of Rome, Estiot, Paris Catalogue, color pl. J, 1586 (x 2).

Centration dimples also occur on some contorniates, which are similarly large orichalcum pieces struck at the mint of Rome.
Curtis Clay

Offline slokind

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2007, 01:59:25 pm »
Stylistically and as a statement, that is the most purely Hadrianic thing I ever saw.  To wear Zeus's and Athena's aegis as he fancied they wore it, nude.  To do, on a die, a profile bust of the emperor, not from before or behind but in real profile, foreshortened.  And if anyone still wondered what an aegis with gorgoneion looks like, there it is.  If you were to write a book on Hadrian, this should be both the frontispiece and the dust jacket.  This is better than the ANS photo of that Domitianus.  What a beautiful thing to have and look at.  It must make one feel like the man in a portrait by Bronzino or Pontormo.
I'm sure Trajan in that sort of bust did not make the same impression? 
Curtis has said the numismatics, so I say only the art history (or perhaps, just art analysis, since I can't pin down the School of intaglio engraving that it belongs to, though I deliberately referred to Zeus and Athena rather than their Roman equivalents).  Pat L.

Offline Bacchus

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #7 on: June 07, 2007, 02:36:14 pm »
It is a very impressive piece and thank you to Curtis for making it tell it's story which I am sure few of us could have divined  :).

I do have to say though - while I agree with Pat in that it is a unique insight into the symbolism of the time - I think that Hadrian looks (and there is no easy way to say this) a bit chubby.

I am not so familiar with the statuarary of the time to make a comparasion but I seem to remember he was reasonably average.

A great medallion and insight though

Malcolm

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #8 on: June 07, 2007, 03:24:31 pm »
Curtis congratulations on a great find!It has incredible eye appeal and I think the ruggedness of the flan edge only serves to enhance the bust and reverse design.Once again it shows novice collectors that reading and learning about the coins and their context really helps,not only giving you a history lesson but also in making smart and sometimes surprising purchases.Thanks again Curtis for sharing this coin, it's history and now it's proper context.

Offline GMoneti

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2007, 05:43:38 pm »
This is very interesting Curtis.  Congratulations on such a fine acquisition.  I wonder why the dealers attributed this as a 16-18th century forgery, "overstruck on an original Roman medallion".  Any thoughts on that?
Georgi

Offline slokind

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2007, 07:31:29 pm »
I suspect because it is precisely what a Renaissance emulator would have given his eye teeth to have produced.  There is indeed an ALMOST 'Cinquecento' maniera to Hadrianic classicism that distinguishes it from that of the Augustan age.  Pat L.

Offline curtislclay

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2007, 07:42:21 pm »
No, it is a total mystery to me.  The piece is so obviously an authentic ancient medallion, that I am at a loss to understand how any other explanation ever entered the picture!

Well, to venture a guess: the rather irregular flan with edge faults and a few cracks may have been misinterpreted as evidence of recent overstriking.

And I think Pat L. is right:  there is a certain "Renaissance flavor" to the dies, particularly the reverse die. 

Yet the cataloguer cited Rothman's article, so was aware of the use of the same rev. die with an ordinary bust of Hadrian and for Antoninus Pius and Diva Faustina I!
Curtis Clay

Offline Varangian

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2007, 10:19:11 am »
we may conclude, according to Rothman, that Antoninus must have struck this medallion posthumously for Hadrian in the latter half of 138 or early in 139.

No!  Nothing about this medallion requires an Antonine date: Hadrian is not Divus, and there is no reference to Hadrian's death or the accession of Antoninus.  It is virtually certain that this medallion must have been struck by Hadrian himself, sometime between c. 130 when the rev. die was created, and Hadrian's death in July 138.

Hadrian was not deified until nearly a year after his death, and Antoninus had to do some serious lobbying and arm twisting to get it, which would presumably include a lot of public propaganda to put plebian pressure to bear as well.  The lack of reference to Hadrian as Divus would not preclude the medallion being issued by Antoninus in late 138/early 139, would it?  And the lack of any reference to Antoninus could be a show of "Hadrian still lives" to the people, as part of Antoninus' push to have Hadrian deified, especially on a special-issue item like a medallion.  Antoninus' refusal of honors until he got his way almost gives the sense (at least to me) of an Imperial "strike" until Hadrian was deified.

A possible 11-year career for a single die just sounds like a long time.


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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2007, 07:13:45 pm »
Perhaps the previous owner originally took a look at the medallion, and put his blinders on and helped along by the flan edge and the "it's more likely statistically to be a reproduction than the real item",
and was self-convinced that it was indeed what he thought it was.   
A good example of what many of us (well, I do ) do in our attributions at times.
Bruce

A marvelous item Mr. Clay!

Offline Rupert

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #14 on: June 10, 2007, 11:34:04 am »
Well, a normal die was used until it was worn. A medallion die might have been used to strike, let's say, 200 medallions and then - remembering what work it was to carve it - they waxed it, greased it or did some similar thing to protect it from rusting and put it in the "dies for special occasions" box. Why not?

Rupert
Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt.

Offline curtislclay

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Re: An interesting large bronze medallion of Hadrian
« Reply #15 on: June 10, 2007, 06:39:47 pm »
Varangian,

(1)  If eleven years sounds like too long a life for a die, which of the apparently certain dates are you doubting: c. 130 for the earliest medallion of Hadrian, or post 141 for the medallion of Diva Faustina

I suppose you are questioning c. 130, but is it at all likely that after c. 131, when the obv. legend HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P became standard on Hadrian's coins, a medallion would revert to the HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS / COS III P P formula of c. 129-131?  Or that Antoninus would go back to this old form when striking posthumously for Hadrian in 138-9?

Other long-lived medallion rev. dies, observed by Dressel in his splendid book on the Roman medallions in Berlin:

Dressel 36, Marcus Aurelius TR P XVI = 162 AD, rev. the two emperors on horseback accompanied by soldier, same rev. die reused for no. 55, Lucius Verus, his titles TR P VIII IMP IIII COS III added to the rev. die, therefore 168 AD, six years later.

Dressel 41, Marcus Aurelius TR P XXIII = 169 AD, rev. COS III Victory leaning on column, same rev. die reused for no. 66, Commodus TR P V = 180 AD, eleven years later, the original rev. legend COS III being altered in the die to IMP III COS II P P.

Von Aulock, in one of his provincial mint studies, found a rev. die that was apparently reused some sixty years later, at a mint that struck only small issues of coins separated from each other by long intervals!

(2)  You write, "Hadrian was not deified until nearly a year after his death, and Antoninus had to do some serious lobbying and arm twisting to get it, which would presumably include a lot of public propaganda to put plebian pressure to bear as well."

Apparently you are following Mattingly in RIC, who claims that it took Antoninus "some six months to overcome the resistance of the senate" to Hadrian's consecration.  However, this chronology was decisively refuted by Strack in his book on Hadrian's coinage, pp. 189-192, arguments to which Mattingly submitted in BMC, p. xlviii, note 4.  The apparent truth is that Hadrian was consecrated maybe two weeks after his death: the Senate put off the act as long as Antoninus was absent, accompanying Hadrian's remains from Baiae back to Rome, but could not resist Antoninus' entreaties once he returned to Rome and appeared in person before the Senate.

Dio Cassius says that the Senate "persisted for a long time in its refusal to vote Hadrian the usual honors", but also reports that when Antoninus "addressed many words to them with tears and lamentations", and threatened to resign as emperor since his adoption was one of the acts of Hadrian that the Senate intended to abolish, then "the senate, both through respect for the man and a certain fear of the soldiers, bestowed the honours upon Hadrian."

Do you suppose that it took Antoninus six months to come up with this argument?  Isn't Dio obviously describing Antoninus' first appearance before the reluctant Senate after his return from Baiae?  Antoninus may have been moved to tears and lamentations on the first day, but he is unlikely to have repeated them on the second, third, fiftieth, and one hundredth days!

The Historia Augusta reports that Antoninus "bore Hadrian's remains to Rome with all piety and reverance, and buried him in the gardens of Domitia; moreover, though all opposed the measure, he had him placed among the deified.  On his wife Faustina he permitted the senate to bestow the name of Augusta, and for himself accepted the surname Pius."

Aren't these all clearly the acts of the first Senate meeting after Antoninus' return to Rome?  Can it be doubted that the Senate's bestowal of the title Pius to Antoninus, stressing his devotion to gods and family, was its rueful acknowledgement of defeat in its intention to condemn Hadrian's memory?

The coins fit perfectly with the chronology suggested by Dio and the Historia Augusta.  Two rare and obviously short-lived issues correspond to the time before Antoninus appeared in Rome, and before he became PIVS:

1. IMP ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS / TRIB POT COS DES II (rev. as his last issue as Caesar).

2. IMP CAES AEL ANTONINVS AVG or IMP T AEL CAES ANTONINVS AVG / PONT MAX TR POT COS.

The main issue, struck from then until the end of the year, is

3. IMP T AEL CAES HADR(I) ANTONINVS / AVG PIVS P M TR P COS DES II. 

Antoninus has returned to Rome, had Hadrian consecrated, added PIVS to his name, and included HADR(I) in his name for good measure!  Issues 1 and 2 were represented by a total of 17 denarii in the Reka Devnia hoard, Issue 3 by 165 denarii, so assuming an even level of production over the 5 1/2 month period, Issues 1 and 2 will have lasted about two weeks after Hadrian's death on 10 July 138.

I think the main argument for a long-delayed consecration of Hadrian has been that he is not called Divus in his epitaph of 139 AD, ILS 322.  But as Strack points out, it was customary for the epitaphs of consecrated emperors to omit Divus, so this inscription proves nothing.  All other inscriptions of the later part of 138, in contrast, for example ILS 332-333, already call Hadrian Divus, so prove that he was consecrated in any case before 31 Dec. 138.

There was, then, no time whatever for Antoninus to strike posthumous coins or medallions of Hadrian in an effort to persuade the Senate to consecrate him: as soon as he arrived in Rome and pled for Hadrian's deification in person, he was successful!
Curtis Clay

 

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