Coin — Aureus of Hadrian, Rome, 118 AD
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
118 AD
Coin in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number A.681-1910), made in Rome, dated 118 AD. The museum's brief description reads: Coin, aureus of Hadrian, gold, head of the Emperor Hadrian, Roman, ca.
118 AD. Museum description: Gold coin. Obverse: Inscription. Head of Hadrian, laureate, border of dots. Reverse: Inscription. Hadrian on horseback, galloping to right, holding a double-pointed spear. The museum records it as Gold, measuring Diameter 1.9 cm; Weight 7.14 g. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Roman coins acted as a vehicle for the quick and wide-reaching spread of propagandic images of Imperial power, at the centre of which was the embodiement of Rome and all that its Empire stood for, the Emperor himself. Roman coins survive in very large numbers and are frequently found right across Europe, which we can take as proof that Romanization as a process did work, and did reach even the furthest corners of the Empire.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- gold
- Dimensions
- Diameter 1.9 cm; Weight 7.14 g
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Gold
- Place recorded
- Rome
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- 'HADIANVS AVGVSTVS'; 'COS III'
Identification
- Museum object name
- Coin
- Museum object number
- A.681-1910
- Museum system number
- O118597
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Recorded
- Weight
- Research required
- Mint or printer
- Research required
- Mint or printer mark
- Research required
- Catalogue reference
- Research required
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.