RPC IV.4, 445

 

Image of specimen #2

 

Coin type
Volume IV.4
Number 445
Province Egypt
Region Egypt
City Alexandria
Reign Antoninus Pius
Person (obv.) Antoninus Pius (Augustus)
Issue Year Ɛ = 5
Dating AD 141/2
Obverse inscription ΑΥΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟϹ ϹΕΕΥΒ
Edition Αὐτοκράτωρ Καῖσαρ Τίτος Αἴλιος Ἁδριανὸς Ἀντωνῖνος Σεβαστὸς Εὐσεβής Αὐτ(οκράτωρ) Κ(αῖσαρ) Τ(ίτος) Αἴλ(ιος) Ἁδρ(ιανὸς) Ἀντωνῖνος Σε(βαστὸς) Εὐ<σε>β(ής)
Translation Emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius
Obverse design laureate head of Antoninus Pius, right
Reverse inscription L Ε
Edition ἔτους εʹ (ἔτους) εʹ
Translation of year 5
Reverse design Harpocrates(?), wearing atef(?) crown, seated on rocks, left, holding long sceptre and club; either side, ram
Metal copper-based alloy
Average diameter 34 mm
Average weight 25.67 g
Axis 12
Reference D 2578, pl. XIV (rev.)
Specimens 3 (1 in the core collections)
Die-links 1–3: same obv. die as 443/6, 9, 455/1.
Note A very similar seated figure also appears on the coinage of Trajan and Hadrian, there traditionally described as 'Harpocrates of Mendes' (as Bakhoum 1999, pp. 84-5). Both the club and a ram may be associated with Harpocrates, e.g. RPC III, https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/15432 and RPC IV.4, https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/23288, where the characteristic finger-to-lips gesture assures the identification (see also Bakhoum 1999: 76-8). On coins of the Mendesian nome under Trajan and Hadrian Ba-neb-djedet/Mendes is associated with rams but not with a club (WG pp. 334-44). A club and ram were associated with Khonsou-Harakhte/Heracles of the Xoite nome: RPC III, https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/15693.
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Specimens of this coin type

# Specimen Museum Bibliography
1 1     P: 2042 SNG 2224
2 2     ✸ A: D 1619A / 2535 / 12361
3 3     Dattari = D 2578, pl. XIV (rev.)