Roman Empire Hadrian - Nilus

Part of the famous travel series of issues struck under Hadrian, this reverse type of AD 134-8 commemorates his visit to Egypt a few years earlier. Featuring a personification of the River Nile, it alludes both to the importance of the river to Roman prosperity, and perhaps the tragic role it played in Hadrian’s life.

The province of Egypt was relied upon to supply grain to feed the people of Rome, and the annual floods on the river fertilized the farmland along its banks. Furthermore, the river was a vital transport link for the ships carrying the grain to Rome, just as the Tiber was between the port of Ostia and the city. In AD 130 Hadrian travelled up the river with the imperial entourage, including his companion Antinoüs, during which trip the young man tragically drowned. The ancient sources are rife with speculation as to whether this occurance was an accident, a suicide on the part of Antinoüs or a sacrifice to aid the health of the emperor, but what is clear is the strong bond between the two men [Scriptores Historiae Augustae Hadrian, 14, 5-7], which led to Hadrian’s encouragement of a cult in honour of a deified Antinoüs and his appearance on the coinage, especially in Egypt.