2019-07-10 Wed

During the peak of the Roman prosperity, Hadrian was the third of the Five Good Emperors. He presided over the glory days of the Roman Empire and is known for building projects, including Hadrian’s Wall, which marked the northern limit of Britannia.

He was a military man and in order to build the trust of his troops, he spent a good amount of time with them, wearing military attire and dining with his soldiers. He is known for spending more time travelling throughout the empire than any other Emperor. Hadrian is remembered for his efforts to tie together the far-flung outposts of the Roman Empire.

He loved Greek art and his portrait on coins shows a noble profile in an idealized and attractive style. The above-shown copper sestertius was issued under his reign from Rome mint. This coin depicts the bare-headed, draped bust of Hadrian on its obverse face. On the other hand, the reverse of a coin portrays Hadrian, holding roll, advancing right, followed by the officer, three soldiers carrying standards.

Image Source: Heritage Auctions