51 Gallery
June 2017 Auction 9 Jun 2017
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EMPIRE, GOLD AUREUS OF HADRIAN, Rome, ca. AD 135-138, 7.232g, 6h. Calicó 1170. Very rare. Lightly toned with underlying luster. A very pleasant example of this difficult issue. Small grafitto on reverse. Good very fine
This coin belongs to Hadrian's extensive series of coins bearing personifications of the provinces of the Empire, either alone or with Hadrian as adventus or restitutor. Africa proconsularis was a relatively peaceful province with little military activity. It had, like Egypt, great wealth based on its exports of grain, and also a major source of wild animals used in entertainment throughout the empire. As with many of Hadrian's destinations, we have almost no information about his activities, other than that it was an opportunity for him to become intimately familiar with this province and its population.
This coin belongs to Hadrian's extensive series of coins bearing personifications of the provinces of the Empire, either alone or with Hadrian as adventus or restitutor. Africa proconsularis was a relatively peaceful province with little military activity. It had, like Egypt, great wealth based on its exports of grain, and also a major source of wild animals used in entertainment throughout the empire. As with many of Hadrian's destinations, we have almost no information about his activities, other than that it was an opportunity for him to become intimately familiar with this province and its population.