Owner Comments:
Our celestial dome holds many marvels that are visible with the naked eye. Unfortunately for the vast majority of us, the night sky is dominated by artificial, rather than natural illumination. In remote areas away from this “light pollution”, the starry sky evokes awe and self-reflection on our tiny habitation within such a mind-bogglingly huge cosmos. Not surprisingly, fascination with the celestial view was particularly profound in ancient times, as evidenced by many artifacts including ancient coinage.
Celestial numismatic motifs can be found on several coins within this NGC Custom Set. For instance, the first Gallery Page includes a bronze hemichalkon wherein the obverse bust of Armenian King Tigranes the Great sports a star-studded tiara; more precisely, the royal tiara has a single star representing the 87 BC appearance of Halley’s comet. Another, notable example is a denarius struck by Octavian featuring
caesaris astrum (the Star of Caesar), an extremely bright comet coinciding with Julius Caesar’ funeral games. Octavian leveraged the situation as part of his propaganda campaign to maintain power and eventually lead Rome down the path from Republic to Empire. Yet another prominent example is this well-preserved denarius struck in Rome circa 126-127 AD by Publius Aelius Hadrianus (76-138 AD).
On the flip side of the typical laureate obverse bust of Roman Emperor Hadrian is an intriguing reverse motif: a seven-pointed star within a crescent. A similar motif can be found on a few dozen other issues struck by Hadrian around the same time, where the number of stars can vary to up to seven. The most popular explanation for the crescent and star motif is that it represents a solar eclipse. If that interpretation is correct, it follows that this coin commemorates the solar eclipse of September 3, 118 AD which traversed across the entire Roman Empire from Britannia’s western shores on the Atlantic Ocean to Armenia’s eastern shores on the Caspian Sea. Notably, totality’s path cut across Bithynia, home of Hadrian’s partner Antinous, slave-turned-supermodel of the ancient world. Given the path of this spectacular eclipse, it is no wonder that the Empire would think they were receiving a divine sign. (If you were as fortunate as I to observe the “Great American Eclipse” of October 14, 2023, you have a modern perspective of a nation’s eagerness to claim ownership over such an event.) In turn, it is logical that Hadrian would advertise the event as proof of the Emperor’s divine duty to lead His Empire.
Regardless of Hadrian’ intent for this coin’s design, ample evidence confirms the Emperor’s fascination with astronomy. The restlessly inquisitive Hadrian immersed himself in many other subjects as well, including poetry, philosophy and architecture. Hadrian carried out many impressing building projects during his two-decade reign, and surviving structures reflect his combined interest in architecture and astronomy. A well-preserved and highly prominent example is Rome’s Pantheon. Originally built by Agrippa in 27 BC, the structure had been twice destroyed by fire by the reign of Hadrian, who decided that was time for its complete overhaul. Hadrian’s rebuild included a cylindrical core of concrete-faced brick supporting the largest concrete dome ever built at that time. Particularly impressive is the 8-meter overhead
oculus (eye), originally surrounded by a painted belt of the zodiac, which was designed as the main source of natural light to illuminate the interior of the structure. Each day around noon, the sun shines through the oculus. Moreover, each day that light appears at a different location, from the floor to the ceiling, in a regular yearly pattern, serving as a calendar.
Although impressive, Hadrian’s urban construction projects were eclipsed by his personal estate, the Villa Adriana near Tivoli. Built on a hillside, Villa Adriana comprises over 30 masterpieces of ancient architecture arranged on a series of artificial esplanades at different heights, surrounded by extensive gardens replete with many statues, water basins and
nymphaea (fountains). A masterful mix of exotic cultural elements reflecting the Emperor’s extensive travels, this fascinating property also holds many mysteries — that are still being unraveled to this day. For instance, a recent study of the highest terrace, the
Accademia Esplanade, noted that it was precisely aligned with the solstitial axis (the line connecting the sunrise of the winter solstice and the sunset of the summer solstice).
The eclectic luxury of Villa Adriana made it the perfect abode for Hadrian. Indeed, imperial documents suggest that he spent his final years governing the Empire from his Tivolese estate rather than from his imperial palace in Rome. Since Hadrian wasn’t allowed to retire (at least no Emperor would do so until Diocletian two centuries later), it at least made sense that he deserved to work from home at the end. For no other Emperor except perhaps Augustus himself had such a prolific tenure in so many ways. Hadrian had many highlights during his 21-year-long reign: quelling rebellions, stabilizing borders through complex negotiations, and enacting numerous legal and social reforms, not to mention travelling extensively to win hearts and minds throughout the Empire, with many provinces striking coins declaring him their restorer. Hadrian even left his mark on future Emperors – his signature beard, which no Emperor previously wore unless in morning, and all Emperors subsequently would adopt until Constantine broke the tradition. Even so, it was Hadrian’s architectural accomplishments that proved to be the most enduring.
Hadrian promulgated his interests in architecture to the end. After Hadrian’s death of natural causes in 138 AD, his remains were laid to rest within the mausoleum he had been constructing for the previous three years (and which took another year after his death to complete). Today known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, the building is an impressive cylinder originally topped with a garden and a golden quadriga. Even in death, Hadrian attended to his interest in architecture while leaving behind another astronomical “easter egg”. Each summer solstice, the sun’s rays shine through external windows to sequentially illuminate niches within the burial chamber.
Reference: Doughty S, (January 24, 2024), Hadrian the Astronomer, Vindolanda Trust Blog, https://www.vindolanda.com/blog/hadrian-the-astronomer.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Hadrian. AD 117-138, AR Denarius (17.5mm, 3.34 g, 6h), Rome mint, Struck circa AD 126-127, NGC Grade: AU★ Fine Style, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5, Obverse: Laureate head right, HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, Reverse: Star within crescent; globe in exergue, COS III, References: RIC II.3 865; RSC 461; ex G. Savonarola Collection.
Image: NGC PhotoVision Plus.