The Worship of Antinoüs

Triton XXI, Lot: 95. Estimate $2000. Sold for $6000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

EGYPT, Alexandria. Antinoüs. Died AD 130. Æ Drachm (36mm, 19.10 g, 12h). Dated RY 20 of Hadrian (AD 135/136). [ANTINOOV HPωOC], draped bust left, wearing hem-hem crown / Antinoüs (as Hermes), wearing chlamys, holding caduceus with his right hand, on horseback right; L K (date) across field. Cf. Köln 1281-2; Dattari (Savio) 2087 (this coin); K&G 34a.4; RPC III 6228/11 (this coin; listed under RY 21); Emmett 1346.20 (R3); Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 95 (this coin). VF, reddish brown patina with touches of green, flan crack. Rare.

From the Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection, purchased from Renzo Canavesi, Sagno, 1996. Ex Renzo Canavesi Collection (Sagno); Dr. Piero Beretta Collection (Milan); Giovanni Dattari Collection, no. 2087.

The authors of RPC do not catalogue any coins of Antinoüs for Hadrian’s regnal year 20, preferring to list them all under year 21, but they do state that “there is no obvious reason why there should not be any, since year 21 is well attested.” As Antinoüs’ coinage from Alexandria begins with RY 19, it would make sense that coins were dated for RY 20 also, in addition to RY 21. As there are not any remnants of the letter A (for KA = 21) on this coin, Giovanni, just as Dattari before him, dates this coin to Hadrian’s regnal year 20.