Hadrianopolis (Ἁδριανούπολις in Greek; modern Edirne, Turkey) was re-founded by Hadrian (Duh!) at the site of a Thracian city once known as Uscudama[1] but then subsequently renamed Orestias or Odrysus.[2] The city was situated in Thrace, at the point where the river Tonzus joins the Hebrus.[3] Hadrian developed the city and made it the capital of the Roman province of Thrace. Military historian John Keegan identifies Hadrianopolis as the site of no fewer than 15 major battles or sieges, the first in AD 323 and the last in July, 1913, and attributes this to its geographical location.[4] Licinius was defeated there by Constantine I in 323,[5] and Valens was killed by the Goths during the Battle of Adrianople in 378.[6] I have four coins minted in this city. Let's see your coins of Hadrianopolis in Thrace! Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman provincial Æ 22.7 mm, 6.54 g, 7 h. Thrace, Hadrianopolis, AD 161-176. Obv: ·I·AVCTEINA CEBACTH, pearl-diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ, Hygieia, feeding serpent from patera, and Asklepios, leaning on serpent-entwined staff, standing facing one-another. Refs: RPC IV (temp) 10453; SNG Cop 560; Jurukova 84-87; Varbanov 3219; Moushmov 2521; Mionnet suppl. 2, 636. Faustina Jr, AD 147-175. Roman provincial Æ 22.4 mm, 6.54 g. Thrace, Hadrianopolis, AD 161-176. Obv: ΦΑVCΤΙΝΑ CΕΒΑCΤH, pearl-diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ, Hera veiled, standing in front of altar, holding patera and scepter. Refs: RPC IV (temp) 3921; Moushmov 2532; Varbanov 1631; Jurukova 63–67, 71, and 76–81; SNG Cop 558; Mionnet Suppl. 2, 644. Caracalla, AD 198-217. Roman provincial AE 17.1 mm, 3.44 g, 12 h. Thrace, Hadrianopolis, AD 198-217. Obv: AVT K M AVP CE ANTΩNEINOC, laureate head, right. Rev: AΔΡIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Nude Eros-Thanatos standing right, left leg crossed over right, leaning with right hand and left elbow on inverted lit torch. Refs: Varbanov 3526; Jurukova, Hadrianople 390.2; CN 5217; Moushmov 2615; cf. SNG Cop 271. Notes: Reverse die match to CN 5217 specimen (Nacionalen Arheologičeski Institut s Muzej, Sofia, no. 1566). Gordian III, AD 238-244. Roman provincial Æ tetrassarion, 9.53 g, 24.2 mm, 1 h. Thrace, Hadrianopolis, AD 238-244. Obv: AVT K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC AVΓ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev: AΔPIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Artemis standing left, holding patera and bow; stag at side. Refs: BMC 30; Moushmov 2685; Varbanov 3888; Jurukova 476; SNG Cop --; Lindgren --; GIC --. Notes: Obverse die match to Varbanov plate coin. ~~~ 1. Ammianus Marcellinus, Rerum Gestarum 27.4.12, in Ammianus Marcellinus. With An English Translation. John C. Rolfe, Ph.D., Litt.D. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1935-1940, p. 23. Available online at The Perseus Project. 2. Smith, William. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography ... Edited by W. Smith. Walton & Maberly, 1854, p. 1023. 3. Gustav Droysen, Allgemeiner historischer Handatlas in 96 Karten mit erläuterndem Text. Bielefeld, Velhagen & Klasing 1886, p. 16. 4. Keegan, John. A History of Warfare. Alfred A. Knopf, 1993, pp. 70-71. 5. Vagi, David L. Coinage and History of the Roman Empire, c. 82 B.C.- A.D. 480. Vol. 1, Coin World, 1999, p. 465. 6. Ibid, p. 585.
@Roman Collector ...Nice write up and great looking coins especially like the two FII's....Alas I have no coins from Hadrianopolis.(How can that happen!)......Here's one of the founder.... Hadrian (117- 138). Rome, c. 131-138 AD. Silver Denarius. 2,85 g. 17 mm. Obv: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate head right. Rev: FORTVNA AVG, Fortuna standing left holding patera and cornucopiae. VF, old collection patina. RIC#245A
Dont know have a coin of hadrianopolis, but thanks for the interesting info! I see a trajanopolos on the map too. Makes me wonder, did every emperor have a [insert name]opolis?
@Roman Collector Nicely done write up. Very enjoyable to read. Great coins from your collection as well. @Limes A lot of victorious emperors of different kingdoms and the Roman Empire would re-found a city after conquest or for the fun of it, I guess. You are a succession of names based on who controlled an area at a given time in places long settled. Just like now most former Roman cities have had modern day cities built atop through continuous inhabitation or redevelopment. Many Roman towns in Bulgaria have current Bulgarian cities there now. Example; Plovdiv, Bulgaria is the former Philippopolis. Provincial, Hadrianopolis, Thrace, AE17, ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛεΙΤΟΝ AE17 Roman Provincial: Hadrianopolis, Thrace Septimius Severus Augustus: 193 - 211AD 17.0mm 3.19gr 2h O: ΑγΚ Λ CεΠ CεVΗΡΟC Π (HP ligate); Laureate head, right. R: ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛεΙΤΟΝ; Bunch of grapes. Hadrianopolis, Thrace Mint SNG Cop -; BMC -. Savoca London/Philipp Eckhert 2nd Blue Auction, Lot 645 Provincial, Hadrianopolis, Thrace, AE18, ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤ AE18 Roman Provincial: Hadrianopolis, Thrace Septimius Severus Augustus: 193 - 211AD 18.5mm 2.60gr 7h O: AYT K Λ CεΠ CεVHΓOC; Laureate head, right. R: ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤ Nike standing left, holding wreath and palm branch. Hadrianopolis Mint Gerasimov 48; Varbanov 3395 var. (Obverse legend); Ruzicka 4 var. (Obverse legend). Provincial, Hadrianopolis, Thrace, AE27, ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ AE27 Roman Provincial: Hadrianopolis, Thrace Caracalla Caesar: 195 - 197AD Augustus: 198 - 217AD 27.0mm 10.51gr O: AVT K M AVR CEV ANTΩNEINOC; Laureate head, right. R: ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ; Eagle standing facing, head right, wings spread, wreath in beak. Varbanov 3496
Septimius Severus. 193-211 AD. Hadrianopolis, Thrace; Æ 28. Obv: His laureate and draped bust, r. Rev: To right, Pan, with goat legs, holding lagobolon and facing Hermaphroditos on the left. Note that Hermaphroditos depicts both male and female attributes. The legend of this mythological figure stems apparently from a single ancient source: Ovid, in his play Metamorphosis. He was said to have been the son of the messenger god Hermes and Aphrodite, the goddess of love. He was born a male and nursed by Naiads in the caves of Mount Ida in Asia Minor. At the age of 15 he wandered through the lands of Lycia and Caria. In his travels, he came upon a beautiful pool of clear water, in which lived the Naiad Salmacis, who was gathering flowers nearby. He decided to refresh himself by bathing in the pool. Salmacis, struck by his handsomeness, slipped into the pool with him and sang to him of her love. However, the youth rejected her advances. Salmacis embraced him and tried to win him over, and prayed to the gods that they be joined together as one, forever. The gods granted her prayers and the two were joined, displaying both male and female attributes of the two; hence, the name Hermaphroditos (Hermaphrodite). A rare coin. It is not listed in the British Museum catalog, SNG Copenhagen, or in Jurukova's corpus on Hadrianopolis, though its obverse die is her V114. See Varbanov II (English), 3392 for a second example, incorrectly identified as Apollo, in my opinion. The referenced source as "WW" is also incorrect.
That's a wonderful coin! GETA AE27. 11.72g, 27.6mm. THRACE, Hadrianopolis, circa AD 209-211. Varbanov 3684. O: AVT K Π CEΠTMIOC ΓETAC, laureate, draped bust right. R: AΔPIANOΠOΛITΩN, Herakles standing left with raised club, preparing to open a can of whoopass on the Lernean Hydra.
The mint at Hadrianopolis was quite active during the time of Gordian III. Asklepios Zeus Genius Apollo
TRANQUILLINA AE23 OBVERSE: CAB TPANKVLLEINA CEB, diademed & draped bust right REVERSE: ADRIANOPOLEITWN, Artemis running right, holding bow, drawing arrow from quiver behind shoulder, dog running at her feet Struck at Hadrianopolis, 241-43 AD 6.1g, 23mm Moushmov 2764
@PeteB Oh man is that exciting to see, even with the accompanying sadness of not owning it myself! Fantastic coin!
