Description
Caesar Traianus Hadrianus, Roman Emperor of the Nerva-Antonine Dynasty 117-138 AD, Silver Denarius (3.24g, 18mm), Travelling Series – Personification type, ‘Nilus’, Rome mint 130-133 AD. Obverse: Laureate head of Hadrian facing to the right, legend surrounds, “HΛDRIΛNVS ΛVG COS III PP”. Reverse: Nilus reclined facing to the right on urn, draped in toga and holding cornucopia aloft in right hand and reed in left, hippopotamus by feet, crocodile below, legend surrounds, “NILVS”. RIC-310; RSC-989; Sear-3508. Light flan split to 9h, otherwise nicely toned with a cabinet grey, evenly worn and a nice example from the highly desirable travelling series, Very Fine, somewhat scarce.
Nīlus was the personification of the great Nile River that flowed through Prōvincia Aegyptus, the Roman province which covered much of modern-day Egypt and bordered the Senatorial Prōvincia Crēta et Cȳrenaica to the west and Prōvincia Arabia Petraea to the east. Roman Egypt was conquered in 30 BC following the defeat of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator in the Wars of Actium, ending of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Egypt remained Octavian’s personal property for several years before officially becoming an Imperial province in 27 BC with the formation of the Principate, and would go on to become an essential aspect of the Roman economy, serving as a major producer of grain and an important geographical position to facilitate trade through the Red Sea. After visiting Greece for the second time, the first in 124 AD, Hadrian travelled through Prōvincia Ā̆sia and arrived in Egypt in August of 130 AD – here he restored Pompey the Great’s tomb at Pelusium, and whilst his entourage sailed down the river Nile, his lover Antinous drowned. The ‘AEGYPTOS’, ‘NILVS’ and ‘ALEXANDRIA’ issues could be considered part VII, ‘Greece and the East’, of his travelling series.
The obverse Latin legend reads “Hadriānus Augustus, cōnsulāritās tertium, Pater Patriae”, with an English translation of “Hadrianus Augustus, honoured with the office of Consul for his third term, Father of the Nation”. The reverse Latin reads “Nīlus”, naming the Nile, the personification of the great River.