CVC & Collectables presents a classic Hadrian bronze sestertius with the FELICITATI AVG galley reverse—one of those “big-history” Roman bronzes that feels like it carried an entire empire in your hand.
Coin Highlights:
- Maker: Roman Empire (Rome mint)
- Date: AD 132–135
- Catalog: RIC 706
- Metal: Orichalcum (AE Sestertius)
- Grade: NGC Very Good (VG) (label notes: scratches)
- Diameter/Edge: 31 mm / Plain edge (typical)
- Obverse: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS; draped bust of Hadrian right
- Reverse: FELICITATI AVG with S C; galley/ship scene (imperial “good fortune” type)
- Type: Roman Imperial bronze sestertius
Emperor History
- Reign: AD 117–138
- Accession: Adopted into Trajan’s succession plan; became emperor after Trajan’s death
- Key events: Consolidation of borders; Hadrian’s Wall begun in Britain
- Coinage/propaganda: Emphasis on stability, fortune (Felicitas), and the unity of a traveled, administered empire
- Fact: Hadrian helped popularize the bearded imperial portrait—a deliberate style shift that became a hallmark of later emperors.
Collectibility
This is the “museum-sized” Roman bronze denomination that collectors love for its presence and storytelling—especially when paired with a reverse that speaks to Rome’s sea lanes, logistics, and imperial reach. NGC encapsulation provides authentication and market confidence, with the label noting surface scratches as the primary condition callout.
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