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Æ34 - Hadrian ΚΟΙ-ΝΟΝ ΒΕΙΘΥΝΙΑϹ
| Issuer | Koinon of Bithynia (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 117-138 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 25.12 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Octastyle temple depicted in frontal elevation, set upon a podium of two steps, with eight columns supporting a pediment; a pellet is placed between the two central columns, and a standing figure, possibly a Genius or cult deity, occupies the tympanum of the pediment, flanked by pellets. Below the podium, a naval prow is depicted, alluding to Bithynia's maritime identity. The reverse legend is divided across the field, identifying the issuing authority of the provincial koinon. |
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| Additional information |
The Koinon of Bithynia was the provincial league responsible for organizing the imperial cult across a region Rome had inherited from the last Bithynian king, Nicomedes IV, who bequeathed his kingdom in 74 BC. Hadrian had a particular relationship with the province — it was Bithynian-born Antinous who became his companion, and Hadrian's tours of the eastern provinces in the 120s and 130s generated a surge of honorific coinage from regional koina eager to display loyalty through the cult.
Koinon bronzes of this size served festival and ceremonial distribution rather than everyday exchange, which partly explains why survivors tend toward the better end of the wear spectrum.