I picked up this darkly-toned denarius of Hadrian a couple of months ago because I wanted a portrait from early in his reign. This one dates to the first year of his rule, where the use of very lengthy inscriptions on both sides - 63 characters in total for just the names and titles - seems a little extreme. A case of overcompensation, perhaps ? Hadrian's predecessor was, afterall, the formidable Emperor Trajan, and his adoption and succession after the latter's death was not without some controversy. I recall reading that it was actually Trajan who had the longest inscriptions on his coins, but I've never tried verifying this. Does anyone have an example to share? And even if you don't, please feel free to pile on with your coins with lengthy inscriptions. HADRIAN AR Denarius. 3.04g, 18.7mm. Rome mint, AD 117. RIC 8b; Cohen 1024. O: IMP CAES TRAIAN HADRIAN OPT AVG GER DAC, laureate and cuirassed bust right, balteus (sword belt) strap over shoulder and across chest. R: PARTHIC DIVI TRAIAN AVG F P M TR P COS P P, Pietas standing left, raising right hand; PIE-TAS in field.
Awesome new addition Z! Trajan did indeed have long inscriptions. Here's a sestertius from late in his reign... it's got you beat with a full 72 characters Roman Empire Trajan (AD 98-117) AE Sestertius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 115-116 Dia.: 32 mm Wt.: 20.94 g Obv.: IMP CAES TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P Trajan draped and cuirassed bust right Rev.: SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS at bottom FORT RED / S C Fortuna seated holding holding rudder and cornucopia Ref.: RIC II 652
Great portrait of Hadrian Z Trajan, Dupondius - struck AD 114 IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI PP, Radiate bust of Trajan right SENATUS POPULUS QUE ROMANUS, Fortuna standing left holding cornucopiae and caduceus. SC in field 12.43 gr Ref : RCV -, Cohen # 353 Remember, not just size counts... Q
@zumbly - COOL! I have not really thought much about inscriptions! LOL, wow, since I do not focus on Empire, I really did not realize how much Hadrian went APE with his Titles on the coins! However, following up Trajan would be HUGE shoes to fill... so, yeah, a bit of "overcompensation". My longest Hadrian inscription is surprisingly on a Quinarius! RI Hadrian AR Quinarius 1.3g, 14mm Rome, AD 119-122 cuirassed laureate COS III Victory seated wreath palm RIC 108a IMP. CAESAR TRAIAN. HADRIANVS AVG; P. M. TR. P. COS. III I have a very lengthy inscription Shell coin. The title is incredibly complex, lengthy, and almost impossible to speak / read in Human language... Oscan-Latin Aes Formatum shell with Ribs 4th BCE It is in the Animalia-Mollusca-Bivalvia-Pectinida-Pectinoidea-Pectinidae language that is indecipherable to understand... Perhaps some of the linguists here can help me read this?
I thought that a retiring Diocletian might give Trajan a run for his money here, but I think Trajan wins this one. Still, DN DIOCLETIANO BEATISSIMO SEN AVG / PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG are pretty long legends on an LRB, making good use of that 28 mm. flan. I hope my colleagues refer to me as BEATISSIMUS ("happy, prosperous, blessed, fortunate") when I retire.
some aes pieces have short incsriptions the X (or maybe it is: +) & C are thought to represent the sun and moon The pictured piece (from Garrucci) has 2 marks, the left piece has 2 and the right piece has 1.
This sestertius squeaks past @Curtisimo's by 2 characters: 74 total. (76 including the SC.) Obv: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PARTHICO P M TR P COS VI P P Rev: PROVIDENTIA AVGVSTI SPQR S-C You anticipated my dastardly plan. Abbasid: Dirham, al-Wathiq, AH 231. Lotsa characters.
Here's my longest inscription, which just happens to also be Traianus... Traianus (98-117 AD). AE Sestertius (33-34 mm, 26.57 g), Rome, 114-116 AD. Obv. IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P, Laureate and draped bust right, seen from behind. Rev. SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS, S C across field, Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus in right hand and cornucopia in left. RIC 672 Obverse is 44 characters, reverse is 24 (26 with SC), so ~70...
..wow! in all my years collecting i've always just looked mostly to find the name in the legends and never give too much thought about how many characters or why.. good one z !
The successor of Trajan , Hadrian used the same long inscriptions in the beginning of his rule as emperor: But later he choose for shorter inscriptions : or even shorter, simply Hadrianus Augustus
Let's include provincials. Macrinus has some long legends. Macrinus and Diadumenian, 217-218 Struck at Marcianopolis in Lower Moesia Asklepios standing, head left, with snake on staff. 21 around: AVK OΠΠEΛ CEVH MAKPEINOC (Autok[rater] Oppel[ius] Seve[rus] Macrinus) 24 in three lines below the busts K M OΠΠEΛ AN/TΩNINOC ΔI/AΔOYME C[aesar] M[arcus] Oppel[ius] Di/adume[nian] Reverse: 24 around VΠΠONTIANOV MAPKIANOΠOΛIT [moneyer] Ponitianus Marcianopolis 2 below: ΩN (of) 1 in field left: E (denomination) Total: 72 letters! (But, the tie breaker is the number of obverse heads and this has two.)