Though the photo is a scan & some of the lettering around the edge is a little obscure I also would like your opinion on its grade & rarity if possible. The coin is silver weighing 2.8 grams & measures approx. 18mm Thank You in advance for your help. Kurt
I read IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG and the bust looks to be Hadrian, so it's certainly Hadrian. Reverse I read AET AVG in the fields, which makes that figure Aeternitas. She seems to be holding the heads of other figures, looks like one is Sol (the Sun) and it turns out the other is the Moon (Luna). The reverse legend is a run down of Hadrian's titles, looks like P M TRP COS DES III (the DES is quite unusual). The reference number for this is RIC II Hadrian 48, which has a few legend break varieties. The titles indicate that this was minted in 118 AD.
In terms of grade, it is hard to give ancient coins meaningful grades and so they usually are not given one. For example, the obverse is well struck, but has some wear. A completely mint state example with half the legend off the flan would be less desirable, but would grade higher.
EDIT: I tried to look for other examples with this exact break, but could only find one:
The AET AVG reverse seems not too rare, but the variety with DES in the legend seems quite scarce and this legend break variety seems very rare. In fact, that example is a die match to yours, perhaps this variety comes to us from only a single die.
Hadrian, AR Denarius AD 135 (17.69 mm 3.39 g) Obv: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG Laur. bust of Hadrian right with light drapery on far shoulder Rev: AET AVG (in field) P M TR P COS DES III Aeternitas standing left holding heads of Sol and Luna Sear 3458 Ric 48
Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited. Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use