Yep, a denarius of Hadrian. Listed in the Sear catalogue as #3461. CV $75 in VF, $$225 in EF - This coin is somewhat worn, but looks nice and readable, and well-centred - I'd put this coin more in the $100 range.
A "modius" was a large wooden bucket with legs, used to carry and store grain; a standard modius had a volume of about 7½ litres (2 gallons). In the time of Hadrian, you'd have needed two or three denarii to purchase a modius of grain in Rome.
Annona was a minor deity with a major responsibility. The city of Rome was not self-sufficient; it had to import vast quantities of grain by sea from Egypt and Africa to feed its huge population. If the grain ships didn't arrive on time, food would become scarce. Annona was the goddess responsible for ensuring the safe and timely delivery of this food supply.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
Posted 02/13/2009 8:18 pm
