Hadrian Concord, Ric Ii.3 549 — Certificate Of Authenticity

This silver denarius of Hadrian, struck at Rome within the sequence now assigned to RIC II.3, 549, belongs to an issue of real typological firmness, in which the obverse IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG accompanies a laureate bust right, and in which the reverse P M TR P COS III / CONCORD develops the theme of Concordia seated left, holding a patera, in a composition that public corpora and specialized comparanda record concordantly for the AD 119–123 horizon; the observed diameter of 19 mm and the weight of 3.20 g fit with very satisfactory coherence within the known parameters of the series, with published specimens for this type falling in a neighboring metrological zone.

Analysis & Expertise
Close observation under ×10 magnification and raking light. The obverse presents an early Hadrianic portrait of very secure visual quality, with hair rendered in tight, supple locks, a clearly articulated laurel wreath, a broad forehead, a well-opened eye, a frank nasal line, a firmly drawn mouth, and a solidly held chin, while slight shoulder drapery can be perceived on the specimen, a detail consistent with specialized publications of the same type under RIC 549; the peripheral legend remains very largely legible, and the beaded border retains convincing continuity around much of the circumference, giving the obverse a particularly sound cabinet presence.

The reverse retains a clear typological reading that is methodically usable, with a seated figure left on a chair, holding a patera in the extended right hand, in a composition that attaches without difficulty to the CONCORD type; the field arrangement, the figure’s posture, the distribution of the legend, and the general structure of the seat remain sufficiently legible to support a close identification within the family of Hadrianic Concordia denarii, reference documentation describing for RIC II.3, 549 a Concordia seated left holding a patera and resting the left arm on a figure of Spes.

The silver surface shows a coherent ancient physiognomy, with relief still firm on the high points of both portrait and reverse, fields displaying fine old circulation marks without any break in reading of the types, and a flan slightly irregular at the edge, consistent with hammer striking on a small Roman module; minor old marginal tensions are perceptible at the periphery, but they remain well stabilized and do not impair either iconographic comprehension or overall presentation balance. This material coherence fully accords with the technical characteristics published for Hadrianic denarii of this family.

Characteristics
Authority and mint.
This issue belongs to Hadrian, emperor from AD 117 to 138, and the mint is Rome, an attribution expressly given by the British Museum for RIC II.3, 549.

Dating.
The group is placed within AD 119–123, a range retained by the British Museum for the specimen referenced under RIC II.3, 549; specialized market publications use the same chronological window for this type.

Denomination and metal.
Silver denarius.

Metrology.
The examined specimen is 3.20 g for 19 mm; coins published under the same reference show neighboring parameters, notably 2.82 g for the British Museum specimen and 3.30 g for a specialized comparandum explicitly given as RIC 549.

Obverse.
IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, laureate bust right; the variant with drapery on the far shoulder is also published within this same group in specialized market literature.

Reverse.
P M TR P COS III / CONCORD, Concordia seated left holding a patera; reference descriptions add that the left arm rests on a figure of Spes, and that a cornucopia may appear under the seat in certain published specimens of the same group.

References.
Attribution to RIC II.3, 549. The British Museum explicitly cites this reference for its specimen 1841,0730.110, and recent specialized literature also publishes the type as RIC 549.

Historical context
This denarius belongs to a phase of Hadrian’s reign in which the titulature remains close to the principate’s early years, while the reverse CONCORD places the coin within a political vocabulary of stability and public harmony; the figure of Concordia, seated and sacrificing, belongs to one of the major allegorical repertories of Roman imperial coinage, and its presence under P M TR P COS III situates the issue within a precisely documented institutional sequence of Hadrianic Rome production.

The interest of this type lies not only in its catalogue placement, but in the clarity with which it articulates imperial portrait, power titulature, and civic allegory; public collections and published specialized specimens show that this CONCORD family occupies a structured place within Rome coinage of AD 119–123, with iconography stable enough to allow particularly fine numismatic reading of bust and seat variants.

Cultural value
The value of this coin, for the knowledgeable collector, lies in the meeting of three very concrete qualities: first, a Hadrianic portrait of good style; second, a CONCORD reverse of strong doctrinal legibility; third, a precisely identifiable RIC II.3, 549 reference, giving the object an interest that is not only aesthetic, but also classificatory and documentary. Here we have a denarius in which engraving quality and the clarity of the iconographic program remain very perceptible.

For a cabinet oriented toward Hadrian’s issues, Rome allegorical reverses, or CONCORD sub-types, the specimen offers a particularly balanced presence, since it retains both portrait sharpness, reverse coherence, and metrology solidly anchored within the series; this conjunction explains the favorable place of this type in a carefully constructed collection of second-century imperial coinage.

Traceability & Guarantees
From a European provenance, from an established numismatic dealer, this specimen was acquired through a specialized international transaction conducted within a recognized numismatic network and validated by reference experts, according to the highest standards of the art and heritage market; examination retains only the stylistic, technical, epigraphic, and metrological characteristics effectively observable, set within the framework of the Rome type Hadrian / CONCORD / RIC II.3, 549 and compared against available public references.

Each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the standards of the art and heritage market; in the present case, the concordance between the obverse IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, the reverse P M TR P COS III / CONCORD, the Rome mint, the AD 119–123 chronological window, the observed metrological coherence, and the attribution to RIC II.3, 549 establishes a particularly solid numismatic identification, formulated within a framework of strict descriptive exactitude and fully suited to a knowledgeable collecting audience.