I am reading a biography of the Emperor Hadrian and the author wrote something I am looking for more information on. According to this author, who may or may not also be a numismatist, Hadrian issued a coin or coins early in his reign that had the exact date using the Roman system of dating from the founding of the city (Ab Urbe Condita). Supposedly he did this to emphasize to the citizenry that any state that lasted that long would endure forever. Now,we are all familiar with dating ancient coins by regal year, like the Hadrian Alexandria Tetradrachma here or from the granting of the Tribunician or Consular power as is common on denarii and brass, from which we can extrapolate an accurate date, BC or AD. I have never heard, however of Roman coins dated as so many years AUC. Is this author correct that this was done, either on the coinage of Hadrian or any other coin and if so does anyone have an image of such a coin or coins? Thanks.
Searching through RIC reveals a listing for an aureus of Hadrian (RIC 144) struck at Rome in AD 121 (AUC 874) with the reverse type "ANN DCCCLXXIIII NAT VRB P CIR CON young male figure reclining l., hear r., holding wheel in r. hand and three obelisks in l." and with a rarity rating of R1. Hopefully that is enough information to find an image online.
I found the coin the author must have been referring in Sear (2002 edition Vol 2 # 3384) and also in Vagi #1335. In sear it is pictured. I guess the author of the Hadrian biography must have known his coins.
