Hadrian. 117-138 AD. Tridrachm, 9.66g. Cilicia, Aegeae, 117 AD. 

Obv: AVTOKPA KAICAP TPAIA ADRIANOC, laureate head right. 
Rev: ETOYC GER AIGEAIWN, diademed head of Alexander III 
right, goat below. 

Unique, the only recorded silver coin of Aegeae's Year 163. 
F. Haymann, Hadrian und Aigeai: ein neues Tridrachmon, 
Gephyra 4, 2008, pp. 1-8 (this coin). VF.
Ex Lanz 141, 26 May 2008, lot 426.

This is the earliest recorded Aegeaean provincial silver 
coin, struck between Hadrian's accession on 11 August 117 
and the end of Aegeae's Year 163 in the fall of the same 
year, perhaps on 5 November. Until the emergence of this 
coin, Aegeae had appeared to have two issues of silver coins 
under Hadrian, the first in the following year 164 of 
Aegeae's era (117/8 AD, 31 tetradrachms and 61 tridrachms 
recorded), and the second in years 176-180, that is 129/30-
133/4 AD, consisting predominantly of tetradrachms with a 
smaller admixture of tridrachms: see C.C. Lorber and D.S. 
Michaels, Silver Coinage of Aegeae in the Reign of Hadrian, 
Quaderni Ticinese XXXVI, 2007, pp. 205-43 (including twelve 
plates). Several features reflect the early date of our 
piece and set it off from the large issue of the following 
year: the omission of Sebastos (Augustus) from Hadrian's 
titles on the obverse; the independent portrait type of the 
emperor, whereas the coins of the following year copy the 
bust type of Hadrian's early coins of the mint of Rome; the 
bow and ties of Alexander's diadem on the reverse, which 
were omitted from the same type in the next year; and 
finally the inverted (6:00) die axis of our coin, whereas 
the axis of the issue of the next year was always upright 
(12:00). It seems possible that our tridrachm was issued in 
connection with Hadrian's passage through Aegeae on his 
journey from Antioch to Rome, probably on about 7 October 
117, as we know that he was in Mopsukrene, a day's 
journey past Tarsus, on 13 October 117. Aegeae was a 
Macedonian foundation and claimed Alexander III as founder 
or at least ancestor, explaining Alexander's appearance on the reverse of our coin.

Gemini Numismatic Auction #6, January 10, 2010, lot 615