Hadrian Coins
Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus
Hadrian was a cosmopolitan intellectual and tireless traveller who consolidated the empire rather than expanding it. He abandoned Trajan's eastern conquests, built the famous wall across northern Britain, and was a passionate patron of Greek culture and architecture, including the Pantheon in its present form.
Hadrian defined the empire's permanent frontiers and shifted imperial policy from expansion to consolidation. His architectural legacy, including the Pantheon and his wall in Britain, endures as some of the most iconic structures of the ancient world.
Key Events
Coinage
Hadrian's coinage is among the most diverse and artistically accomplished in the Roman series. His famous 'travel series' depicts personifications of the provinces he visited, and his portraits are remarkable for being the first to consistently depict a bearded emperor.
Denominations
Notable Types
- Provincial travel series (AEGYPTOS, BRITANNIA, HISPANIA, etc.)
- RESTITVTORI types
- Antinous commemoratives (rare)
- Hadrian's Wall types
Common Reverses
Active Mints
Collecting Guide
Hadrian's travel series is one of the most celebrated thematic sets in Roman numismatics: province personification types (AEGYPTOS, BRITANNIA, HISPANIA, AFRICA, and others) issued as sestertii, denarii, and aurei to commemorate the emperor's tours of the empire. Building a complete travel series set is a long-term goal that gives structure to a Hadrian collection. Beyond the travel types, Hadrian's common COS III denarii are readily available and feature one of the most distinctive portraits in Roman coinage, the first consistently bearded emperor. The RESTITVTORI types, showing Hadrian raising a kneeling province figure, are another accessible thematic group. Hadrian's coinage is exclusively from the Rome mint, so variety comes entirely from reverse types and portrait evolution across the reign. The standard reference is RIC II, with Strack's monograph providing deeper die analysis.
Market Overview
Common COS III denarii sell for $100–350 in VF. Travel series denarii command premiums depending on the province, BRITANNIA and AEGYPTOS types are among the most sought-after at $300–800. Travel series sestertii are the prestige pieces, ranging from $800–5,000 depending on province and condition. The rare EXERCITVS types and Antinous commemoratives reach five figures when they appear. Gold aurei start at $5,000–8,000 for common types. Hadrian's market benefits from strong crossover appeal, the travel series attracts collectors interested in specific regions (British collectors seek BRITANNIA types, for example), broadening demand beyond the core numismatic audience.
Related Resources
Further Reading
- Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume II,
- Roman Coins,