Silver Denarius of Emperor Hadrian - C.5044 Origin: Minted in Rome Circa: 134 AD to 138 AD Collection: Numismatics Style: Roman Medium: Silver Roma was the goddess who embodied the spirit of Rome, a patriotic figure. The presence of Victory, as the name suggests, signifies the then seemingly insuperable might of Imperial Rome. Hadrian was a conservative yet wily leader. His concerns were capitalising on the achievements of earlier periods, so spent a great deal of his time shoring up defences in far-flung reaches of the empire. The victorious and nationalistic iconography on this coin would have reinforced his positive public image. Coinage operates as a propagandist device in all cultures, and particularly during the Roman Empire when the borders were uncertain and internal strife threatened to destabilise the economy. Hadrian, like all other emperors, sought to associate himself with positive iconography and heroic imagery. As it happened, he deserved them more than subsequent, decadent emperors, who squandered the stability his conservative and comparatively peaceful rule had engendered.

Antique Coins
Ancient coins