ROMAN. EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian. A.D. 117-138. Billon Tetradrachm (13.47g). Dated Regnal Year 16, A.D. 131/2. AVT KAIC-TPAI ADPIA CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Hadrian right, seen from behind / Serapis enthroned left, holding grounded sceptre in left hand and extending right hand toward Cerberus seated at his feet. L I-S across fields. RPC III 5789. Well centred and well defined for the type. Superb attractive patina. aEF. Acquired from I. S. Wright in the early 2000s. This tetradrachm was struck at Alexandria during the sixteenth regnal year of Hadrian, one of the most widely travelled and intellectually ambitious emperors of Rome. Born in A.D. 76 and connected by family ties to Trajan, he rose through a distinguished public and military career before succeeding to the throne in A.D. 117. Rather than continue Trajan's eastern expansion, Hadrian reshaped the empire through consolidation, reform, and direct imperial presence, personally visiting provinces across the Roman world. Under his rule, Roman culture, architecture, and administration reached a refined and enduring high point. (P)

Estimate: AUD 400