While I continue to search for the final two coins needed to round out my 12 Caesars collection, I also find myself inexorably drawn to the beauty and history of Hadrian’s coins. I initiated my Hadrian collection with a toned aureus featuring the she-wolf reverse, shown in a previous thread. Recently I had the good fortune to add one of Hadrian’s “travel series” aurei from the just-finished NAC auction. This Hispania aureus is somewhat more readily available in high quality than others from his series, and I was happy to add it to my small-but-growing collection of Hadrians. HADRIAN 117 - 138 A.D. AV Aureus (7.26 g.) Rome ca. 134 - 138 A.D. RIC 305 HADRIANVS - AVG COS III P P Bare head left. Rev. HISPANIA Hispania reclining left, holding branch in right hand and resting left arm on rock; in front, rabbit. While I'm not sure I understand how a rabbit is symbolic of ancient Hispania, I really like this particular reverse. Although there is another long-running thread on this site devoted to Hadrian, feel free to add on your favorite Hadrians here.
Fantastic coin IoM. That portrait is stunning! As for coins of Hadrian, I only have this lowly denarius.
Utterly magnificent in every way!!! Unfortunately, I recently lost out on a wonderful (non-gold LOL) example--I love that travel series and intend to go after a few as time moves on....and my current more modest examples have accidentally been deleted and need to be rephotographed I can only guess as to the significance of the rabbit, since I have never noticed any reference to it...which seems rather strange.
Roman Imperial Hadrian 117-138 CE AR Denarius 3.34g Rome mint Obv: Bare head r. Rev: Salus standing r, feeding snake coiled round alter Ref: RIC 267
That is a wonderful coin IoM. I only own one gold and not even closely associated with Hadrian. But I do have this silver from the travel series: HADRIAN AR Denarius OBVERSE: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, Laureate head right REVERSE: AFRICA, Africa reclining left holding scorpion & cornucopiae, basket of grain at feet Struck at Rome, 136 AD 2.76g. 18.5mm RIC 299/RSC 138
Congratulations on a great acquisition!! Hadrian's travel series often has his most artistic portraits, which is certainly the case here as well! I viewed this coin in hand at NAC's London office before the sale and I believe you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much nicer it looks in person - not that it doesn't look great in their images.
I think i read somewhere that cuniculus in Latin means both "rabbit" and "mine". In combination with the olive twig this would be a reference to the source of the wealth of Hadrians family in Hispania.
Ides, that's an incredible aureus. A Hadrian travel series aureus would be a dream coin for me. I have its counterpart in silver, but am out of town at the moment and seem to be unable to upload pics from my phone for some reason. I do have this from my notes (from wiki I think) about the rabbit: The origin of the word Hispania is much disputed and the evidence for the various speculations are based merely upon what are at best mere resemblances… One theory holds it to be of Punic derivation, from the Phoenician language of colonizing Carthage. Specifically, it may derive from a Punic cognate of Hebrew אי-שפניא (i-shfania) meaning "Island of the Hyrax" or "island of the hare" or "island of the rabbit".
Not just you I bet Wonderful coin in every way. My only Hispania realted coin is a poor thing in comparisaon to IOM stunner Hadrian, Sestertius HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P , laureate and draped bust right RESTITVTORI HISPANIAE, Hadrian raising kneeling figure of Hipania 24.3 gr Ref : RCV # 3633, scarce Q
Thanks for all the compliments. I received this coin yesterday and although the color is fairly accurate, I was unable to illustrate the remaining luster that the coin retains. One of the features that I note in all the posted coins is how well centered they are, regardless of the condition of the coin -- full legends, well centered reverse, etc. This isn't generally true for most other emperors. Knowing how focused Hadrian was on artistic values, I wonder if he insisted that his coins be struck to the highest standard in all denominations.
What a beautifull razorsharp image of Hadrian on that Aureus. congrats, IoM The Phoenicians called Spain I - Sphanim , which means Land of the many rabbits , Carthago and later the Romans changed it into Hispania , with the same meaning.
My favourite Hadrian coins are the ones with his galley on the reverse, He came along my place a couple of times, I live at the Limes (river Rhine) just opposite of the Roman fort Matilo , which was upgraded and renovated in stone by Hadrian .This was also the route to England where he constructed some kind of a stone wall I was born just to late to see him sail along together with his wife Sabina.
What a beautiful coin and the rabbit symbol on the reverse is thought-provoking. http://ctspanish.com/rabbits.htm http://www.culturespain.com/2011/05/28/spain-rabbits-and-the-iberian-lynx/ I will have to ask some Ancient experts at UNRV about the rabbit. Good stuff. Thank you. guy
