Silver Denarius of Emperor Hadrian - C.4240 Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 134 AD to 138 AD Collection: Numismatics Style: Roman Medium: Silver Hadrian was a conservative yet wily leader. His coinage appealed to every sector of society, and he took pains to make sure he was presented in a positive light. In this case, he was concerned to make sure he seemed to be a devotionally-oriented leader. Coinage operates as a propagandist device in all cultures, and particularly during the Roman Empire when the borders were uncertain and internal strife threatened to destabilise the economy. Hadrian, like all other emperors, sought to associate himself with positive iconography and heroic imagery. As it happened, he deserved them more than subsequent, decadent emperors, who squandered the stability his conservative and comparatively peaceful rule had engendered.

Antique Coins
Ancient coins