Æ20 - Hadrian ΚΟΙ-ΝΟΝ ΒΕΙΘΥΝΙΑϹ

The Koinon of Bithynia was the provincial league of Greek cities in the Roman province of Bithynia et Pontus, empowered to issue coinage primarily for the purpose of honoring the emperor and maintaining the imperial cult. Hadrian was unusually attentive to the eastern provinces — his multiple tours through Asia Minor made him a genuine presence in Bithynian civic life rather than a distant abstraction, and coinages like this one reflect active local enthusiasm rather than rote obligation.

Bithynia held particular personal significance for Hadrian: it was the homeland of Antinous, whose death in the Nile in 130 AD prompted an empire-wide commemorative outpouring from the emperor himself.