★ A Very Rare Medallion of Antinous ★

Antinous Æ Medallion of Bithynium Claudiopolis, Bithynia. After AD 134. ANTINOON ΘEON H ΠATPIC, bare-headed and draped bust of Antinous to right / BEIΘYNIEΩN AΔPIANΩN, Antinous, as Hermes Nomios, wearing short chiton and chlamys, standing left in winged shoes, raising right hand to face and holding pedum in left; beside him, an ox, star above. Blum p. 45, 5, pl. 2, 13; RPC III, 1111; H.-C. von Mosch, 'Die Antinoos-Medallions von Bithynia-Klaudiopolis', SNR 80, 2001, pp. 109-26, 2 (same dies); Pudill p. 56, M49. 43.13g, 37mm, 12h.

Good Fine; rev. surface tinned in antiquity. Very Rare.

Ex A.F. Collection, Germany, Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XV, 5 April 2018, lot 556.

The obverse of this numismatic talisman blatantly advertises the apotheosis of Antinous as a theos, while the reverse celebrates his assimilation to Hermes Nomios, an epithet meaning 'the protector of pastures and shepherds'. These concepts are just the sort of exotic extravagance that attracted the infatuated Hadrian to all things Eastern, in contrast to the decidedly much more austere religious and cultural mores of Roman Italy, which would have considered it an outrageous blasphemy to deify the beautiful young boy.