Description
Caesar Traianus Hadrianus, Roman Emperor of the Nerva-Antonine Dynasty 117-138 AD, Silver Denarius (3.19g, 18.5mm), Travelling Series – Restitutor type, ‘Restorer of Hispania’, Rome mint 130-133 AD. Obverse: Laureate head of Hadrian facing to the right, legend surrounds, “HΛDRIΛNVS ΛVG COS III PP”. Reverse: Hadrian stands on the left, togate, raising up Hispania, draped in stola and resting branch in left arm, rabbit between them, legend surrounds, “RESTITVTORI HISPANIAE”. RIC-327; RSC-1260; Sear-3535. Notably sharp and lightly toned and well centred each side, a most collectible restitutor type of the Travelling series, highly desirable as such, near Extremely Fine.
Hispānia was the name given to the Iberian Peninsula which encompasses much of modern-day Spain and Portugal, and was also the name given to the Roman provinces of which this land was divided. Following the defeat of Hannibal at the Battle of Ilipa, the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus had effectively seized Carthaginian controlled Iberia, and with the close of the Second Punic War in 201 BC, Hispānia was officially ceded the Roman Republic. Several years later in 197 BC, the land divided into Prōvincia Hispānia Ulterior and Prōvincia Hispānia Citerior, ‘further’ and ‘nearer’ Iberia. With the eventual conquests of the Celtic people of the area, such as the Lusitani to the west or the Celtibrians in the central-northeast, Roman control spread across the entirety of the Iberian Peninsula and the provinces were re-organized. Augustus renamed ‘nearer’ Iberia to Prōvincia Hispānia Tarracōnēnsis, encompassing all of Hispānia Citerior as well as to the north, and Prōvincia Hispānia Ulterior became two provinces: Prōvincia Hispānia Lūsītānia and Hispānia Baetica. In late 122 AD, Hadrian arrived in Tarraco, the capital of Hispānia Tarracōnēnsis, where he spent the winter of 122-123 AD – during his time here, he restored the Temple of Augustus. Although translated as “Restorer of Spain” on the reverse, there was no specific event in which Hadrian ‘restored’ any of the provinces through military conflict or otherwise, rather, unless it refers to the Temple of Augustus, it is more likely indicative of, much like what is implied with his regular ‘Province personification’ types, that Hadrian was demonstrating benevolence to the people of the provinces, “extending over his subjects a protecting hand, raising them as one helps fallen men on their feet” (Aelius Aristides). The ‘HISPANIA’ and ‘RESTITVTORI HISPANIAE’ issues could be considered part II, ‘Africa and Parthia’, 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 legend reads “Restitūtori Hispāniae”, with an English translation of “Restorer of Spain”.