A rare denarius of Aelius, the first officially designated successor of Emperor Hadrian.
Lucius Aelius Caesar was adopted by Hadrian in AD 136 and granted the title of Caesar, becoming the intended heir to the imperial throne. He never became emperor, however, dying unexpectedly on 1 January AD 138, several months before Hadrian. Antoninus Pius was subsequently chosen as Hadrian’s successor and required to adopt Aelius’s son, the future emperor Lucius Verus.
The reverse depicts Concordia, the Roman personification of harmony and unity, seated on a throne, holding a patera and resting her left arm on a cornucopia. The type formed part of Hadrian’s succession propaganda, emphasising political harmony, stability and the peaceful transfer of power to his appointed heir. The legend TR POT COS II refers to Aelius’s tribunician power and second consulship, dating the issue to AD 137.
An example with a distinct, characteristic portrait of Aelius and a clearly identifiable reverse design. Deep flan crack and traces of circulation.
A rare denarius of the emperor who never was. His premature death forced Hadrian to revise his succession plans and indirectly paved the way for Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius.
Roman Imperial
Aelius (136- 138), Denarius 137, Rome mint
Obverse: bare head right
L AELIVS CAESAR
