Ancient Roman Silver Coin of Emperor Hadrian (Architect of Rome’s Golden Age)

Own a Rare Silver Coin Depicting the Emperor Who Traveled His Entire Empire — Aboard His Galley

A real silver denarius of Hadrian — struck at Rome around AD 131, depicting the emperor himself aboard a five-oared galley, commemorating the unprecedented decade-long provincial tour that took him from Britain to Egypt and back. NGC certified, ex Curtis L. Clay, rare FELICITATI AVG reverse legend arrangement. Reference Strack-324.

$405.00

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⛵ Reverse depicts a five-oarsmen galley with Hadrian in the cabin — the emperor greeting from the stern between standards, one of the most distinctive images in all of Roman silver coinage
🌊 Rare legend FELICITATI AVG COS III — imperial fortune and safe travels, commemorating Hadrian's extraordinary 121–132 AD provincial voyages
📋 Strack-324 — Ex Curtis L. Clay — Ex CNG E313 — Ex Simon Shipp lot 253 — NGC certified, fully documented provenance

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

No Roman emperor before or after Hadrian did what he did between AD 121 and 132 — he left Rome and spent more than half of his reign personally traveling the provinces. Not on campaign, not fleeing crisis, but deliberately visiting, inspecting, reforming, and connecting with the empire he governed. He traveled to Britain and ordered the construction of Hadrian's Wall. He went to Greece and became so devoted to Athenian culture that he rebuilt the city on a monumental scale. He sailed to Egypt and up the Nile. He visited the eastern frontier and the Balkans and North Africa. It was one of the most extraordinary acts of personal governance in the history of the ancient world.

This denarius was struck to commemorate those journeys. The reverse is remarkable — not a goddess, not a personification, not a standard military symbol, but Hadrian himself, identifiable in the cabin of a five-oared galley, greeting from the stern between military standards as his crew rows him across the Mediterranean. It is one of the most personal and narratively direct images ever struck on Roman imperial silver. The legend FELICITATI AVG — to the Fortune of the Emperor — invokes divine protection for his voyages and the prosperity they brought to the empire.

Weighing 3.18 grams of Roman silver and referenced precisely as Strack-324 with same-die confirmation from the plates, this coin carries fully documented provenance through numismatist Curtis L. Clay, auction house CNG E313, and Simon Shipp lot 253. The rare reverse legend arrangement distinguishes it within the series. Certified by NGC — the voyager emperor in silver, captured at the height of his extraordinary reign.

Perfect for:

• Serious collectors of Hadrianic, Five Good Emperors, and Roman imperial silver denarii
• History lovers drawn to Hadrian's travels, Hadrian's Wall, and Roman provincial administration
• Naval type, FELICITATI AVG, Strack-324, and Curtis Clay provenance enthusiasts
• Anyone seeking a rare, fully documented piece from one of Rome's most extraordinary and personal imperial coin types

What You'll Receive

• One authentic silver denarius of Hadrian — naval galley type
• Denomination: AR Denarius (3.18g — Roman imperial silver)
• Reference: Strack-324 (same dies, pl. V)
• Provenance: Ex Curtis L. Clay — Ex CNG E313 — Ex Simon Shipp lot 253
• Mint: Rome — c. AD 131
• NGC certified for authenticity

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• Guaranteed authentic ancient coin
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