Roman Coin

[63cagedfalcon]

Hello,

I've had this coin for a while now & just started to put several into holders.
I Googled "coin 2 men shaking hands" & found it.
Looking to verify this is what I have & the eternal question....to clean or not to clean. I think I know the answer but believe it's just grime.

Please let me know uour thoughts.
Paul

Here is the description found online.

Hadrian, AR denarius, 117 AD. IMP CAES TRAIAN HADRIAN OPT AVG GER DAC, laureate head right with slight drapery on the left shoulder / PARTHIC DIVI TRAIAN AVG F P M TR P COS P P, ADOPTIO below, Trajan, holding scroll, and Hadrian standing right and left, clasping hands. RIC II, 3b, rated scarce; RSC 4; Sear 3454.

 

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[Mackaydon]

Of the two images below, I believe your coin is the one without the word ADOPTIO.
Also notice your coin depicts the two men holding a globe between them, not shaking hands.
Don.....

 

[Mackaydon]

Here's the other coin (yours):

Don......
PS: I wouldn't clean it further.

 

[63cagedfalcon]

The link provided gives a person a lot of information regarding what is what regarding the axes.
I have referred to t many times over the years, and I get a sense of what to look for when viewing a piece.
So the cast one can be discounted as they didn't "cast" actual trade axes.
Have you researched the touch mark "PC" as of yet?

Here's the other coin (yours):

Don......
PS: I wouldn't clean it further.

Thanks Don!

What year is this? Not 117 A.D..
Also what grade would this be considered?

 

[Red-Coat]

Just my opinion, but I don’t think your coin is either of those types. Look again more closely and compare more critically to the examples Don posted.



For Hadrian’s denarius, the two figures on the reverse are Hadrian at the left and Trajan at the right. The intentional depiction is that Trajan is handing the globe over to Hadrian as an indication of the legitimacy of his succession (sometimes they’re shown just clasping hands), with or without the ‘ADOPTIO’ legend. This was a lie concocted after Trajan’s death, probably with the collusion of his wife. Trajan never adopted Hadrian as his successor. Note that both Emperors are wearing robes and not holding spears on the Hadrian coins.

For your coin, only the figure on the left is robed and the unrobed figure on the right has a spear. I believe this is an “Emperor receiving globe from Jupiter” reverse (Emperor to the left, Jupiter to the right), with the characterisation of Victory above the globe. Still looking for an exact match to yours (there are hundreds of variants used by multiple Emperors with various legends), but this kind of thing:



For the obverse, note that the bust of the emperor on yours has a radiate crown, whereas the Hadrian denarii have a laureate bust. As a tradition from Nero’s time, denarii of Hadrian habitually have a bare or laureate bust, but the radiate crown was normally used as an indication of a “double-denomination”. So, a radiate bust would be a double-denarius… ie an antoninianus. As far as I know the ‘ADOPTIO’ reverse types were not produced as antoniniani under Hadrian… but actually, I don’t think this is a Hadrian coin at all. How much does it weigh, and what's the approximate diameter?

I’ll do a bit more checking, but if ‘Crusader’ sees this thread, he’ll probably nail it down rather more quickly than I can.

 

[JamieD]

Totally agree with red coat’s analysis. I think the most likely ID for your coin given the designs and visible legend is a radiate of Constantius the first with CONCORDIA MILITUM reverse.

Few examples here:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/pre-and-post-reform-tetrarchal-radiates.316067/

Jamie

 

[63cagedfalcon]

Just my opinion, but I don’t think your coin is either of those types. Look again more closely and compare more critically to the examples Don posted.



For Hadrian’s denarius, the two figures on the reverse are Hadrian at the left and Trajan at the right. The intentional depiction is that Trajan is handing the globe over to Hadrian as an indication of the legitimacy of his succession (sometimes they’re shown just clasping hands), with or without the ‘ADOPTIO’ legend. This was a lie concocted after Trajan’s death, probably with the collusion of his wife. Trajan never adopted Hadrian as his successor. Note that both Emperors are wearing robes and not holding spears on the Hadrian coins.

For your coin, only the figure on the left is robed and the unrobed figure on the right has a spear. I believe this is an “Emperor receiving globe from Jupiter” reverse (Emperor to the left, Jupiter to the right), with the characterisation of Victory above the globe. Still looking for an exact match to yours (there are hundreds of variants used by multiple Emperors with various legends), but this kind of thing:

View attachment 2014598

For the obverse, note that the bust of the emperor on yours has a radiate crown, whereas the Hadrian denarii have a laureate bust. As a tradition from Nero’s time, denarii of Hadrian habitually have a bare or laureate bust, but the radiate crown was normally used as an indication of a “double-denomination”. So, a radiate bust would be a double-denarius… ie an antoninianus. As far as I know the ‘ADOPTIO’ reverse types were not produced as antoniniani under Hadrian… but actually, I don’t think this is a Hadrian coin at all. How much does it weigh, and what's the approximate diameter?

I’ll do a bit more checking, but if ‘Crusader’ sees this thread, he’ll probably nail it down rather more quickly than I can.

Weight is 3g & measures 20mm,
Looks like a single letter under hands in center, most examples I've seen have two letters. This should help to narrow down choices.