HADRIAN
AD 117-138
AE Drachm. 24.53g, 33.5mm
MINTED: EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 16 (AD 131/2)
REF: Emmett 1017.16; Dattari 1796; RPC Online 5792
OBVERSE: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from the rear.
REVERSE: Nilus seated left on a pile of rocks on which a small hippopotamus stands, holding reed and cornucopia; L ΙϚ in field.
 
Provenance:
Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1980.949)
 
Notes:
An attractive piece with smooth and even circulation wear.  Bold outline of devices. Some traces of old laquer applied to the surfaces in the past.   
A rare museum pedigree, sold with its original catalogue tag.
 
Historical Notes:
Egypt supplied as much as half of Rome’s annual grain supply, and was as such a hugely important province. Its economic and cultural heart was Alexandria, the second largest city in the Empire with a population of more than half a million during the time of Augustus. The coins of Roman Egypt were heavily used in daily commerce, and most often found in extremely worn condition. They are nevertheless highly collectible and interesting, sometimes featuring unique Egyptian-themed reverses and deities.