Item number: A207

Year: AD 136-138

Material: Silver

Size: 17.7 x 17.7 x 2.3 mm

Weight: 3.07 g

Provenance: Coincraft 2016

This is a denarius silver coin dating from AD 136 to AD 138, featuring Lucius Aelius Caesar, the adopted son and heir presumptive of Emperor Hadrian of the Roman Empire. The obverse depicts a right-facing portrait of Lucius, with intricately detailed curls and a distinct beard. The Latin legend “L AELIVS CAESAR” on both sides represents Lucius’s new name abbreviation upon becoming the heir.

The reverse side of the coin features the goddess Concordia, who is revered in Roman mythology as the personification of harmony. Roman emperors often utilised Concordia’s image on coins to symbolise and publicise the peace and prosperity achieved under their rule. Concordia is depicted seated to the left on a high-backed chair, holding a ceremonial dish known as a “patera” in her right hand, while her left hand rests on the symbol of abundance, the “cornucopia.” The Latin inscription below, “CONCORD,” refers to the deity’s name, while the inscriptions on either side, “TR POT COS II,” abbreviate the titles “Holder of tribunician power, consul for the second time.”

In AD 117, Hadrian ascended to the imperial throne and was subsequently regarded by later historians as one of the “Five Good Emperors” of Roman history. During his reign, the Roman Empire ceased its external military campaigns, entering into a period of relative peace and prosperity. In AD 136, Hadrian adopted Lucius Ceionius Commodus as his son, renaming him Lucius Aelius Caesar and designating him as the heir to the throne. However, upon Hadrian’s death in July AD 138, Lucius had passed away due to illness six months prior, thus failing to succeed to the throne. Nonetheless, Lucius’s son, Lucius Verus, would later be fortunate enough to be elected as co-emperor by the Senate in AD 161.

Denarius:
The denarius was a small silver coin introduced by ancient Rome around 211 BC and was one of the most common currencies in circulation until it was gradually replaced by the Antoninianus in the mid-3rd century during the Roman Empire.

物件編號: A207

年代: 公元 136-138 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 17.7 x 17.7 x 2.3 mm

重量: 3.07 g

來源: 錢幣工藝 2016

這是一枚公元136至公元138年間，時任羅馬帝國皇帝的哈德良以皇位繼承人，養子盧基烏斯·埃利烏斯·凱撒為主角的第納里烏斯銀幣。正面是盧基烏斯右側肖像，人像的捲髮和落腮鬍十分立體。兩側的拉丁銘文「L AELIVS CAESAR」是盧基烏斯成為繼承人後的新名字縮寫。

錢幣背面是女神康考迪亞，在羅馬神話中是和睦的控制者。一位羅馬皇帝若想宣傳在他統治下達到國泰民安的成就，就會在錢幣背面放上康考迪亞作為象徵和宣傳。面朝左方坐在高腳椅上的康考迪亞，右手拿著一種稱作「培特拉」的宗教祭祀碟子，左手倚在象徵富饒的「豐裕之角」上。下方的拉丁銘文「CONCORD」是神祇名字，兩側的「TR POT COS II」是「二度獲得保民官權力」頭銜簡稱。

公元117年繼承帝位的哈德良，被後人尊稱為羅馬帝國歷史的「五賢帝」之一。羅馬帝國在哈德良任內停止對外征戰，得到安養生息的承平時光。公元136年，哈德良收養盧基烏斯·塞奧尼烏斯·康茂德為養子，將他改名為盧基烏斯·埃利烏斯·凱撒並指定為皇位繼承人。然而哈德良在公元138年7月駕崩之際，盧基烏斯卻在半年前因病逝世，未能繼位。但是盧基烏斯的兒子，盧基烏斯·維魯斯，日後有幸於公元161年被元老院推舉為共治皇帝。

第納里烏斯(Denarius):
第納里烏斯是古羅馬從約公元前211年開始發行的一種小銀幣，是最常見的流通貨幣之一，直到公元3世紀中期才逐漸被羅馬帝國發行的貨幣安東尼尼安努斯(Antoninianus)取代。