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Æ37 - Hadrian ΒΕΙΘΥΝΙΕΩΝ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΩΝ
| Issuer | Bithynium Claudiopolis (Bithynia and Pontus) |
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| Year | 117-138 |
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| Reference(s) | RPC III#1117 |
| Obverse description | Draped bust of Antinous facing left, with bare head and characteristically full, curly hair rendered in fine detail, a hallmark of his portraiture on provincial coinage. The effigy displays the idealized, youthful features associated with Antinous as deified favorite of Emperor Hadrian. A circular Greek legend surrounds the bust, proclaiming his divine status. The portrait style reflects the high-quality die-cutting associated with Bithynian civic issues honoring Antinous after his deification in 130 AD. |
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| Obverse lettering | Η ΠΑΤΡΙϹ ΑΝΤΙΝΟΟΝ ΘΕΟΝ (Translation: the Fatherland (honors) Antinous God) |
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Bithynium held a distinction no other city in the province could claim: it was the birthplace of Antinous, the young Bithynian boy who became Hadrian's intimate companion and, after his drowning in the Nile in 130 AD, the subject of an empire-wide deification cult. The city was renamed Hadrianopolis — reflected in the ethnic ΑΔΡΙΑΝΩΝ — as direct imperial favor following that death, when Hadrian flooded the eastern provinces with foundations, games, and civic honors tied to Antinous's memory.
At 41 grams, this is a heavy provincial strike, likely produced for ceremonial or civic display rather than active trade.