EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian. AD 117-138. Æ Diobol (24.5mm, 10.23 g, 1h). Dated RY 16 (AD 131/2). VF.

Electronic Auction 581
Lot: 393. Estimated: $ 100

Roman Provincial, Bronze

Sold For $ 600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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EGYPT, Alexandria. Hadrian. AD 117-138. Æ Diobol (24.5mm, 10.23 g, 1h). Dated RY 16 (AD 131/2). Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / Isis seated right, holding infant Harpocrates, crowned with skhent, holding lotus flower; on back of throne, hawk at each corner; L Iς (date) across field. Köln 1046; Dattari (Savio) 1749; K&G 32.530; RPC III 5813; Emmett 1138.16. Red-brown surfaces, edge flaw. VF.

Following Alexander’s conquest of Egypt, the cult of Isis spread across the Mediterranean, with its popularity reaching its zenith in the Roman period, when the “goddess of a thousand names” became one of the Mediterranean’s principle deities. It is generally assumed that the iconography of Isis nursing Harpocrates influenced Christian representations of the Madonna and Child, particularly the Virgo lactans type popular in medieval Europe.

Closing Date and Time: 19 February 2025 at 12:10:40 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.