Featured Antinous Hemidrachm: Featuring Roger Waters...

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Multatuli, Nov 21, 2018.

  1. Multatuli

    Multatuli Homo numismaticus

    Hello everybody!

    I present here my newest acquisition. It's a very rare hemidrachm of Antinous, struck in Alexandria, Egypt.
    After I had seen a few threads here in CT, associated with my interest in Antinous' history, and reading Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian, I got carried away and started looking for something that would fit into my numismatic budget.
    Unfortunately, the eye-appeal is far far from the acceptable minimum. Well, that's what we have for now.
    Antinous here looks more like Roger Waters. Truly a Greek tragedy, especially considering the beauty of the boy and the ugliness of the other.
    images (1).jpg download.jpg

    The coin has had better days. It was visibly tooled, treated of a probable bronze disease, which must have been quite aggressive on the reverse. That is, all the adjectives for many here pass far away...
    But it's still an Antinous. I would not content myself with having a tessera. My numismatic focus is really in ancient coins. And as I'm a completist, so an Antinous is never to be despised. And personally, despite all the shortcomings, I was happy to get my Roger Waters!
    Well, that's it. Post here your pieces of Antinous, Hadrian, relatives, or some rare ruler that has been difficult to obtain.
    Here the seller pics:
    jb8A6NxdGzT9E3rf2iLsBfF4RX7q5z.jpg
    ANTINOUS (Antinoüs) AE hemidrachm. EGYPT, Alexandria. Struck 130-138 AD. ANTINOOV HPωOC (Antinous, Heros), draped bust left, wearing hem-hem crown. Reverse - Antinoüs (as Hermes), wearing chlamys, holding caduceus with his right hand, on horseback right; RPC III 6235/10; Emmett 1347.21 (R4). Very rare, especially when compared to the drachms and diobols of Antinous. 28mm, 10.1g.
    My pics (it's really better in hands, believe me...!):
    11B261F9-8F87-4CD2-85C7-C5BD72DD5F31.jpeg
    553A5F0F-155B-4F17-A0A4-58288144FDF1.jpeg
    Well, that's it. Feel free to post here your pieces of Antinous, Hadrian, relatives, or some rare ruler that has been difficult to obtain.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2018
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  3. Orange Julius

    Orange Julius Well-Known Member

    Oooh yes, I've wanted one of these too!

    There was also one just listed on Vcoins a few days ago that I really wanted but my coin budget is blown for the year. It was reserved a few hours after being listed. Great coin @Multatuli !

    Here's the recent one from Vcoins... I wouldn't be surprised if someone we know here bought it.

    3Co4n2RKcqZ5jR9rJSz6yD7pitL8A4.jpg
     
  4. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Sometimes there just aren't many choices available for certain type, or there aren't choices available within budget.

    Here's one of my ugliest coins and it too is an Alexandrian. I definitely hope I can find and afford a better example someday.

    [​IMG]
    EGYPT, Alexandria. Octavian/Augustus
    80 drachmai (diobol); 26 mm, 14.2 gm
    First series, struck circa 30-28 BC
    Obv: bare head right
    Rev: eagle standing left on thunderbolt; cornucopia to left, Π to right
    Ref: Emmett 1; RPC I 5001
     
  5. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Here's a Hadrian Drachm. I too have been looking for an Antinous but don't want to pay $7k-$10k to get one - at least not right now. But I suppose it could be a good investment, not that I would ever want to part with it if I did acquire one....

    hadrian3.jpg

    hadrian4.jpg
     
  6. ycon

    ycon Renaissance Man

    ugly though it may be, I'm a little green with envy.

    Here's my (no less ugly) tessera:

    Y4r8F3FaXnw6D5LpcDq997AxsA2Wz4.jpg
     
  7. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Great acquisition, when you know how handsome the boy was, you don't really mind about the coin.

    I have to stay in ACH's league

    [​IMG]
    Hadrian, Drachm - Alexandria, c. AD 131-132
    AVT KAI TRAI ADRIA CEB, Draped and laureate bust of Hadrian right
    Nilus leaning left. Behind an hippopotamus. L IS in field (regnal year 16)
    23.87 gr
    Ref : Sear #1259, RCV #3763 var, Emmett #1017/16 (R1)

    Q
     
  8. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    ..i was expecting some Pink Floyd man....
     
  9. Ken Dorney

    Ken Dorney Yea, I'm Cool That Way...

    Your choices for Floyd related coins are limited....

    Not mine.

    3614482.jpg

     
  10. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    :)
     
  11. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Ken beat me to the punch :D.

    CappadociaDarkSideOfTheMoon.jpg

    I picked up this coin a few months ago. The type is one I've wanted for a while and this one had clear enough devices and a reasonable price :).

    CappadociaCaesarea-TychePyramid-RT.jpg
    CAPPADOCIA, Caesaraea
    Pseudo-autonomous issue, time of Trajan

    AE 13 mm, 3.3 gm
    Obv: turreted and draped bust of Tyche or city goddess to right
    Rev: pyramid; ЄTIϚ (date) below; uncertain mark or object to left; MO-YΛ (I'm not sure of those letters and there may be more letters at ~12:00, mostly off flan)
    Ref: (pending)

    The reverses of these coins seem to have the date (local calendar) and some have an abbreviation for a magistrate's name. I haven't yet found one with this year or markings but I haven't yet found the commonly cited book, Sydenham's The Coinage of Caesarea in Cappadocia (1933). It doesn't seem to be available online. If you find a .pdf or other free online version, please let me know.

    Based on the letters and their corresponding dates of similar coins from Caesarea, the date of my coin may be year 16 of Trajan, ~113 CE.

    More Floyd fun:

    [​IMG]

    And an Antinous:

    [​IMG]
    EGYPT, Antinoöpolis. Antinous
    2nd-3rd centuries CE
    PB tessera, 25 mm, 7.63 gm, 11h
    Obv: draped bust of Antinous right, wearing hem-hem crown; crescent before, AN behind
    Rev: Serapis standing right, head left, raising hand and holding scepter; to left, ЄYC/YBA/[...]
    Ref: Peus 386 (26 April 2006), lot 759 (same dies); Milne –; Dattari (Savio) –; Köln –
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2018
  12. Multatuli

    Multatuli Homo numismaticus

    Great coins, @TIF! I really like this Dark Side of the Moon type! Now it was included in my wish list!
    P.S.: I loved your website, TIF!
     
    TIF likes this.
  13. Multatuli

    Multatuli Homo numismaticus

    Go Reds! Go Liverpool! :D
     
  14. Multatuli

    Multatuli Homo numismaticus

    This coin was sold few weeks ago on CNG eAuction 431. In my opinion, very affordable price:
    https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=369274

    Unfortunately, I just saw it after the ending of the Auction...
     
  15. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    That one was a good deal, even with the unsightly flaw...
     
    Orange Julius and Multatuli like this.
  16. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Nice thread.. I like Antinous.. Here is my specimen.

    Antinous. AE Medallion of Kios.

    A bust of Antinous with a horse in reverse.

    FB_IMG_1480944862080.jpg
     
    TIF, Multatuli, Alegandron and 4 others like this.
  17. Multatuli

    Multatuli Homo numismaticus

    Awesome, @Loong Siew ! One of the best that I ever saw!
     
    Loong Siew likes this.
  18. Trebellianus

    Trebellianus VOT II MVLT III

    Argh! I also had my eye on this one. Normally anything pierced would be a hard no for me, but the cult of Antinous is one of the most intriguing little corners of Roman history, and the thought that this one might have been put to some small votive purpose was rather pleasing. Plus, more prosaically, these tend not to come as cheap as this one did.

    But, alas — if I've learned anything at all from my time collecting it's that the good stuff on Vcoins moves very quickly.
     
    ycon likes this.
  19. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Thanks @Multatuli .. I was indeed exceptionally fortunate to secure this. whilst the portrait of Antinous is sharp, would have been better if the reverse is clearer as well..
     
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