0421 Hadrian Sestertius, Roma 119-23 AD Hadrian

Reference.
RIC II, 582; C 930; Strack 548; RIC 421

Bust C1

Obv. IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG P M TR P COS III:
Laureate, draped bust, viewed from front

Rev. LIBERALITAS AVG III in Ex. S C
Hadrian, seated left on platform, hand extended towards citizen, advancing right, with fold of toga held out; in background Liberalitas standing front, holding up coin scoop; behind Hadrian, attendant standing left.

24.93 gr
33 mm
h

Note.
Comment on Tablet by Curtis Clay.
The object in question was a tablet with a set number of shallow coin-size depressions drilled into it, say 50 depressions. It was dipped into the chest of coins like a scoop, and shaken until one coin had settled into each depression. Any excess coins were then swept back into the chest with the official's other hand, and the full board containing exactly fifty coins was then emptied into the outstretched toga of the recipient. So the object in question was a coin scoop/coin counter, meant to rapidly and accurately distribute the required number of coins to each recipient.