Bronze as of Hadrian (AD 117–138) struck at the mint of Rome in AD 133–135.
The obverse shows the laureate head of the emperor facing right with the legend HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P. This inscription contains the core elements of Hadrian’s official titulature: the title Augustus, the indication of his third consulship (COS III), and the honorific Pater Patriae (P P), granted to him in AD 128. The combination of these titles allows the issue to be dated to the later phase of his reign, when Hadrian was already firmly established as ruler of the empire.
The reverse depicts the personification Fortuna standing left, holding a patera in one hand and a cornucopia in the other, accompanied by the legend FORTVNA AVG. In Roman iconography Fortuna represented favorable fate and divine protection over the state, while the cornucopia symbolized prosperity and abundance. The presence of the patera emphasizes the religious aspect of the representation, referring to ritual offerings and the divine guardianship associated with the emperor’s rule.
Roman Imperial
Hadrian (117–138), As 133-135, Rome mint
Obverse: laureate head right
HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P
Reverse: Fortuna standing left, holding patera and cornucopia, S-C across fields
FORTVNA AVG
Diameter 27 mm, weight 9.86 g
