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Auction: 25055 - British Medals and World Coins featuring The Hurter-Amman Collection of Ancient and European Gold
Lot: 1096

NGC XF | Roman Empire, Hadrian (117-138), 'Fine Style' AV Aureus, struck AD 119-122, Rome, IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, rev. PM TR P COS III, Jupiter seated left, holding sceptre and thunderbolt, 7.34g, 6h (BMC 107; Calicó 1304a; Cohen 1060; RIC 513), minor marks, attractively cabinet toned, almost extremely fine, in NGC 'Ancients' holder, graded Extremely Fine (Cert. #8534355-007) [Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5]

Provenance

The "Hurter-Amman" Collection of Ancient and World Gold and Silver Coins and Medals



The impressive style of the die, excellent strike, and stunning high relief of this aureus brings to the eye a curious feature of the emperor Hadrian. Though best known in Britain for his titular wall, Hadrian had a secondary claim of perhaps slightly less import - the first Roman emperor to wear a full beard. While Nero had sported a neckbeard, Hadrian went further in growing out all of his facial hair, going against Roman custom of being clean shaven, or at least shaved above the lip. This custom was strongly enforced at times; as reported by Livy, Marcus Livius was forced to visit a barber before entering the senate, 'censores eum tonderi…coegerunt' (Liv. XXVII.34). A possible source for Hadrian's newfound facial fashion lies in his nickname, Graeculus, 'the little Greek', given on account of his devotion to Greece and its culture, where beards were more widely worn. In any case, with Hadrian having set the new trend, the next eight emperors all wore beards.


https://www.ngccoin.uk/certlookup/8534355-007/NGCAncients/

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Estimate
£3,000 to £4,000

Starting price
£1700