Hadrian Uncia, 9.5mm, 0.95g, Smallest "Sc" In Wreath Imperial Coin Perhaps?

I finally unloaded mine last month
I had it at .84 grams 10mm although it may have been a tad under on the diameter
I was completely stumped on ID but got a quick one here from the "experts"
A bit rough yes but still an interesting novelty

I was sure it was of Syrian manufacture
But Sear lists it as a Hadrian uncia Rome mint
Surprised the sandals off of me

I didn't see the original posting, but what cool coins. I had no idea that there were such small Hadrian SC coins. I learn something new every day on this forum.

There are several types of little bronze coin from this time, including variations on 'SC in wreath', that are thought to have been minted in Rome (and distributed to the provinces).

This is a small bronze quadrans (also with 'SC'), attributed to anywhere from Domitian to Antoninus Pius but probably from Hadrian.

It's been suggested the Senate minted these coins for special occasions and public feasts. They were intended to serve as small change, but eventually were too invaluable even for that.

Anonymous Quadrans, Late 1st Century-Mid 2nd Century

Rome. Bronze, 13mm, 2.9g. Winged caduceus; SC in field. Winged petasus (RIC II (1926), 32). Found in East Yorkshire.

Yes it's Imperial if the Senate in Rome sanctioned it i.e. it isn't issued under a Provincial authority. That is regardless of whether it was struck elsewhere or for delivery to a specific Province. 'Provincial' is a modern categorisation but there would have been a difference at the time in where the coins were accepted.

For these little bronzes to be 'Provincial', they'd have to be used only in the local area. But many were made for use across the Empire, which by definition, is Imperial.

In Hadrian's time, Rome was the only mint for large parts of the Empire e.g. there wasn't a London mint until the 290s. But when the mint in London opened, the coins were still classed as 'Imperial' since they could be used across the Empire. There was no Provincial coinage from Britain.

The quadrans above is thought to have been struck in Rome and was found in Britain, just as all Imperial coins were. The lack of a mintmark indicates that they are Imperial, since Provincial coins had mintmarks (to tell you on whose authority they were issued) and Imperial coins didn't (at least until Diocletian's reforms, by which time there were no Provincial coins - all mints were 'Imperial'). The same for SC - this means the senate in Rome sanctioned the coins, not a Province, and so they are Imperial.

That's not to say there aren't other possibilities for where they were struck. It's thought Hadrian and Antoninus Pius did strike a large number of sestertii either in Britain or for Britain, but they don't have mintmarks to prove it (these are called 'coins of British association'). But these were still Imperial coins (sanctioned by Rome) and could be used across the Empire.