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AR25 - Hadrian S P - Q R (in field), COM - BIT (in exergue), ROM AVG (in entablature)
| Issuer | Koinon of Bithynia (Bithynia and Pontus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 117-138 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Reverse description | An octastyle Roman temple depicted in careful architectural detail, raised upon a three-stepped podium (stylobate), with eight tall fluted columns supporting a classical pediment in which a shield (clipeus) is prominently displayed. The entablature bears the dedicatory inscription ROM AVG, identifying the structure as a temple of Roma Augusta. The legend COM BIT appears in the exergue, denoting the Koinon (common assembly) of Bithynia, while S P and Q R are placed symmetrically in the left and right fields respectively, abbreviating Senatus Populusque Romanus. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Koinon of Bithynia — the provincial league uniting the cities of Bithynia and Pontus under shared religious and political administration — issued coins like this one primarily to fund the imperial cult and finance the league's ceremonies. The obverse dedication to the Roman Senate and the reverse reference to the Commune of Bithynia together mark this as a prestige issue tied to that cultic machinery, not ordinary civic circulation. Hadrian was unusually attentive to the eastern provinces, visiting Bithynia personally during his extensive travels through the Greek world in the 120s, and the league's coinage under him reflects a moment of genuine reciprocal favor between emperor and provincial elite.