Numism > Reading For the Advanced Ancient Coin Collector
Eastern denarii of Hadrian
curtislclay:
Here is another, nicer, Eastern denarius of Hadrian with reversed obv. legend, AVGVSTVS - HADRIANVS, rev. COS III, Crescent and seven stars, Strack *20, unique in Vienna (not illustrated by Strack or BMC).
The rev. type, as usual, is copied from denarii struck at Rome, even the legend placement in exergue occurs there, though usually the legend runs clockwise, COS on left and III on right.
The obverse of this denarius, in portrait style and transposed legend order, is quite similar to the cistophorus of Hadrian, Metcalf 298, Uncertain Mint A, as pointed out by Wolfram Weiser in a note in the Münzzentrum-Rheinland catalogue from which I got the coin.
slokind:
That portrait of Hadrian on the denarius with crescent-and-stars reverse is the most memorable one (to my taste) that is have seen. That is as wonderful as it is rare. Pat L.
ROMA:
Great thread, and beast your collection of Hadrian alone is very impressive!
Beast:
Thanks Roma! I'm still learning quite a lot about the different styles with input from Curtis, Barry and Michael Kelly. Metcalf's reference for Hadrian's Cistophoric Tetradrachms is also helpful so I can put the coins side by side with the plates and attempt to match up mints. I've always been fond of Hadrian's issues, since there are so many different types and the two excellent travel series.
--Beast
curtislclay:
This newly acquired Eastern denarius was previously unknown (2.88 g, 6h, illustrated below):
HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P, head laureate r.
P M TR P COS III, Minerva, helmeted and with aegis on her breast, sacrificing l. from patera over candelabrum-like altar and holding spear.
Copied from a Rome-mint denarius of c. 119-125, using a longer obv. legend, also illustrated below.
This older Roman rev. legend P M TR P COS III is rather rare on Eastern denarii.
The only common one is with rev. Aequitas standing, with legend COS III the commonest Eastern type of all, and perhaps the first one struck, in close to Roman style, as I suggested above. Same type with P M TR P COS III: Strack *59, listing 12 spec. with various bust types.
Apart from Aequitas, Strack knew six Eastern types with legend P M TR P COS III, each of them in a single specimen only.
One, like mine, is an exact copy of a Roman denarius type with the same rev. legend, Mars advancing r., Strack *21. This piece is illustrated in my first post above, because it shares its HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS obv. die with my ROMA FELIX COS III P P coin.
Four Eastern denarii, though using the old rev. legend P M TR P COS III, join it with types copied from more recent Roman issues, whose original rev. legend was generally COS III. Types:
Modius and six wheat ears, Strack *72.
Minerva standing r. resting l. hand on shield set on ground, Strack *70.
Liberalitas emptying cornucopia, Strack *60.
(probably) Roma seated l. on cuirass and shield, Strack *22.
The final Eastern denarius with rev. legend P M TR P COS III copies a rev. type of Trajan's, Jupiter holds thunderbolt over emperor, Strack *71.
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