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Æ42 - Hadrian ΚΑΛΧΑΔΟΝΙΟΙϹ, ΙΠΠΩΝ (in ex.)
| Issuer | Calchedon (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 117-138 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 42 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Antinous, depicted in the guise of Apollo, reclines to the left upon the back of a griffin in full flight to the right. His right arm is raised and rests above his head in a languid, divine pose characteristic of solar deity representations. The griffin, a mythological creature combining eagle and lion, is rendered with spread wings and extended talons, conveying celestial motion. The principal reverse legend encircles the design, while the magistrate's name appears in the exergue below the groundline. |
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| Additional information |
Calchedon occupied one of the most strategically valuable positions in the ancient world — perched at the entrance to the Bosphorus, directly opposite Byzantium. The city had backed the wrong side often enough that its civic coinage under Hadrian carries a particular significance: his reign brought a deliberate policy of honoring provincial cities with imperial attention, and large-module bronzes like this one were often struck to mark benefactions, imperial visits, or the granting of civic privileges.
The reverse exergue naming ΙΠΠΩΝ likely references a local magistrate, a standard Bithynian practice for dating and authenticating civic issues in this period.