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A silver denarius of the emperor Hadrian with a reverse showing Pietas Coin Type: Silver denarius of Hadrian, 117-138 CE
Mint and Date: Rome, 117 CE
Size and Weight: 18mm x 19mm, 3.18g
Obverse: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANO AVG DIVI TRA
Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Reverse: PARTH F DIVI NER NEP P M TR P COS
PIE-TAS across field.
Pietas standing left, right hand raised and open, palm upwards.
Ref: RCV (2002) —; RIC II 13(c).
Provenance: oz_ogdoad (eBay); January 2007
BW Ref: 020 030 101
Click on the picture for a larger scale view of the coin

Note: The legend on this coin is very verbose and continues over from the obverse to the reverse. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANO AVG DIVI TRA names the Emperor, at the same time showing that he has taken the name of his predecessor who had adopted him. It then begins to name his deified adoptive father. The reverse continues PARTH F DIVI NER NEP P M TR P COS, finishing off his father's name with Parthicus, a title which Trajan had taken the previous year, and stating the filial relationship. It then goes on to say that Hadrian is the grandson of the deified Nerva, who had adopted Trajan. This is finally followed (as usual) by the emperor's current titles: Pontifex Maximus, Tribune of the People and Consul (for the first time).

So on this coin in the first year of his emperorship, Hadrian is pointing out his distinguished and divine adoptive ancestry, thus making clear both his right to rule and the orderly nature of the succession.


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