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AR25 - Hadrian KOM BIT (sic) - (in field), ROM S P AVG (in entablature)
| Issuer | Koinon of Bithynia (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 117-138 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | A tetrastyle temple set upon a podium of three steps, depicted in frontal elevation with four columns supporting an entablature inscribed ROM S P AVG. Within the intercolumniation, a male figure in military dress stands facing left, holding a spear in his right hand and a Victory statuette in his left; before him, a helmeted figure of Roma stands facing right, crowning him and holding a cornucopia. The legend KOM BIT appears in the field. The scene reflects the cultic relationship between the Koinon of Bithynia, Rome, and the imperial cult. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The legend KOM BIT — a compressed form of KOINON BITHYNIAS — identifies this as a provincial cistophoric-weight issue struck under the authority of the Bithynian koinon, the league of cities that administered the imperial cult across the province. The "sic" notation in the catalog suggests an irregular or abbreviated spelling on this specific die, not uncommon given the decentralized nature of provincial engraving workshops where local craftsmen sometimes compressed legends to fit the flan.
Hadrian traveled through Bithynia and Pontus in person, likely around 123–124 AD, and the province had particular dynastic significance — Nicomedia had been the capital of the old Bithynian kingdom before Rome absorbed it as a bequest in 74 BC.