Antinoüs – The Favorite of Hadrian
From the BCD Collection
Antinoüs. Died AD 130. Cast Æ Medallion (40mm, 40.48 g, 12h). Later fabrication, most likely 19th or 20th century. [O]CTIΛIOΣ · MAPKЄΛΛO · C O IЄYC A[NTINO]OΣ (
sic), draped bust right / AΔPIANOΣ ωKOΔOM[HΣHΣ], tetrastyle temple façade, decorated with statues in relief and containing smaller tetrastyle shrine and statue within passage; in pediment, winged caduceus between two birds; in exergue, alligator right. Good VF, casting spur and minor roughness. An interesting modern fantasy, combining a corrupted version of an Antinoüs medallion from Corinth under the priest Hostillius Marcellus (CNG 69, lot 951), and a mysterious architectural reverse featuring a building (οικοδόμησης) of Hadrian.
Ex BCD Collection (Lanz 105, 26 November 2001), lot 650.
