Gemini, LLC
Auction 11 12 January 2014
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Hadrian. 117-138 AD. Denarius, 3.36g (12h). Eastern Mint, c. 130-1 AD. Obv: HADRIANVS - AVGVSTVS Bust laureate right, fold of cloak on front shoulder. Rx: COS above, I - I - I symmetrically below, Crescent moon with one star within and four more stars in a horizontal line above the crescent. There are also two dots, perhaps representing background stars, below the second star and between the third and fourth stars in the line of four. Apparently unpublished obverse-legend and reverse-type variant of Strack *49; BMC p. 380, 28; Cohen 464; and RIC 357 (wrongly under Rome). Toned EF
This coin differs on both obverse and reverse from the rare known Eastern denarius of similar type, Strack *49 (3 specimens, all illustrated on his pl. XIX). On the obverse, our coin omits P P from the legend; HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS is a much rarer obverse legend on these Eastern denarii of Hadrian than HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P. The same obverse die was also used with the type COS III Sacrificial implements, Strack *16, pl. XX. On the reverse, the arrangement of the stars and the legend is different on our coin: in the known type the stars are arranged in three rows containing one, three, and one star respectively, and COS is written to the left, III to the right. On our coin in contrast there are only two rows of stars, containing four and one star respectively, and COS is written above, III below. Curiously, the reverse legend on our die was originally arranged differently, but was then altered in the die: traces of the eradicated letters C - O - S - I running counterclockwise are visible from 9 to 3 o'clock!
This coin differs on both obverse and reverse from the rare known Eastern denarius of similar type, Strack *49 (3 specimens, all illustrated on his pl. XIX). On the obverse, our coin omits P P from the legend; HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS is a much rarer obverse legend on these Eastern denarii of Hadrian than HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P. The same obverse die was also used with the type COS III Sacrificial implements, Strack *16, pl. XX. On the reverse, the arrangement of the stars and the legend is different on our coin: in the known type the stars are arranged in three rows containing one, three, and one star respectively, and COS is written to the left, III to the right. On our coin in contrast there are only two rows of stars, containing four and one star respectively, and COS is written above, III below. Curiously, the reverse legend on our die was originally arranged differently, but was then altered in the die: traces of the eradicated letters C - O - S - I running counterclockwise are visible from 9 to 3 o'clock!