Hadrian. AD 117-138. AV Aureus (20mm, 7.20 g, 12h). “Travel series” issue (“Provinces cycle”) – The province alone. Rome mint. Struck AD 133-134. Good VF.

CNG Feature Auction 132
Lot: 54.
Closing Date: May 19 2026 11:00 ET

The PLZ Collection, Gold

Estimate: $ 20 000

BID NOW

Hadrian. AD 117-138. AV Aureus (20mm, 7.20 g, 12h). “Travel series” issue (“Provinces cycle”) – The province alone. Rome mint. Struck AD 133-134. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head left / AFRICA, Africa, draped, wearing elephant-skin headdress, reclining left, leaning on a rest, holding scropion in right hand and cornucopia in left; to left, a basket of fruit. RIC II.3 1492; Strack 297¹/δ_o; Beckmann, Gold dies j1/AF1; Calicó 1191 (same dies as illustration); BMCRE 811; Biaggi 577 (same dies). Good VF. Fine style.

From the PLZ Collection. Ex Numismatica Genevensis SA 10 (3 December 2018), lot 41; Gorny & Mosch 236 (7 March 2016), lot 449.

On Hadrian’s travel coinage, Africa is one of the few provinces depicted in multiple ways, with different poses and attributes. Here Africa reclines languidly to the left as on the previous specimen, but instead of resting her right hand on a lion, she rather bravely holds a scorpion in her right hand while cradling a cornucopia in the crook of her left arm. A fruit basket, symbolic of Africa’s agricultural bounty, rests at her feet. Interestingly, this issue also differs from the other Africa type (see Lot 53) by depicting Hadrian with a left-facing portrait. Another outstanding coin in high grade and worthy of a top tier collection.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 132 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 18-19 May 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 132 – Session One – Lot 1-318 will be held Monday morning, 18 May 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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