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Æ37 - Hadrian ΒΕΙΘΥΝΙΕΩΝ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΩΝ
| Issuer | Bithynium Claudiopolis (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 117-138 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | RPC III#1114 |
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| Reverse description | Apollo, clad in a long belted chiton, strides to the right in a graceful walking pose, his arms extended as he plays a cithara held before him. The figure is rendered in a fluid, classical style with drapery falling in natural folds. The Greek civic legend is distributed around the periphery of the field, identifying the issuing community. The composition occupies the full reverse field with no visible exergue line. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΒΕΙΘΥΝΙΕΩΝ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΩΝ (Translation: of the Hadrianic Bithynians) |
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| Additional information |
Bithynium held a distinction no other city in the province could claim: it was the birthplace of Antinous, Hadrian's famously beloved companion, who drowned in the Nile in 130 AD. The city exploited that connection aggressively, receiving the honorific surname ΑΔΡΙΑΝΩΝ — "of Hadrian" — and issuing oversized bronzes that announced its imperial favor to anyone handling the coinage. At 44.78g, this piece is heavy even for a provincial Æ37, suggesting it was struck to impress rather than to circulate efficiently.