Hadrian augustus, 117 – 138
Aureus 130-133, AV 7.13 g. HADRIANVS – AVG COS III P P Bare head r. Rev. AFRICA Africa with elephant-skin headdress, reclining l., resting r. hand on lion and l. arm on basket; behind basket, corn ears. C –. BMC 808 note. RIC 298 var. (head l.) = RIC II, 1487 (these dies). Calicó 1197 (these dies). Very rare and in exceptional condition for this fascinating issue, undoubtedly one of the finest specimens in private hands. A wonderful portrait of fine sytle and a magnificent reverse composition. Good extremely fine Privately purchased from Kurt Spanier in 1985. This coin is sold with an export licence issued by the government of Spain. As famous as they became, Hadrians travels are poorly documented, and scholars have had to reconstruct them through many different kinds of evidence. It is clear that his first trip occupied the years 121 to 125, that his second occurred from 128 to 132, and that his third and final voyage was staged from 134 to 136. Hadrian seems to have visited Africa proconsularis in 123 on his first voyage, and again in 128 on his second. Africa proconsularis was the region of North Africa directly below the length of the Italian peninsula. It was bordered in the east by Mauretania/Numidia and on the west by Cyrenaica, and it included the important centers of Leptis Magna and Carthage. The great agricultural estates of Africa generated enormous profits that sponsored many a senatorial career; indeed, the senators from Africa proconsularis accounted for the largest representation from any western province. On this aureus, struck several years after Hadrians last visit to Africa, we see a remarkably elegant representation of the province, which is personified as a woman reclining seductively, nude to the waist. In the details of the composition we find classic emblems of the region: she wears an elephant headdress, places her hand on the mane of a lion seated at her side, and she rests her left arm on a basket filled with an agricultural bounty. On another version of this type that appears on Hadrians coins the lion is absent and Africa is shown holding a cornucopia and a scorpion, and reclines beside a basket of produce.