ANCIENT HISTORY – Classical Antiquity coin 


Four coins were recently found in a field in Benhall on 23rd January 2022, one dated to Edward I, as well as an early flint arrow-head – see History Group’s web for additional information on the finds. 
Of significant age, one has been identified as a silver denarius of Emperor Hadrian minted in Rome around 117-138 AD, size 18 mm. That makes it about 1,900 years old!

        

Obverse: HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP, Emperor Hadrian with bare head. Reverse: ADVENTVS AVG, showing a Roman in military dress standing left, holding a spear and clasping hands with Hadrian standing right.

The ‘heads’ side (obverse) of a Roman coin normally bears a portrait of the Emperor or of his wife or son with their names and titles. Early roman coins are renowned for the quality of their portraits. The ‘tails’ side (reverse) was used to give out a message, proclaiming the Emperor’s virtues and achievements through various symbolic or more direct images. These include gods and goddesses (Mars, Mercury, Jupiter), personifications of virtues (Peace, Fortune), military symbols (soldiers, standards, camp gates), personifications of provinces (Britannia, Hispania) and animals.
A silver denarius was worth 4 sestertii. A legionary soldier was paid 300 denarii and a centurion was paid 3000 denarii a year but half of this was kept back as payment for food and clothing, so a denarius was probably the equivalent of a £20 note in today’s money, a sestertii about a £5 note (www.hadriancoins.com).