As an extremely mobile Emperor during one of Rome’s golden ages, every part of Hadrian’s life definitely attracts a large quantity of scholarly attention, perhaps none more than Antinous. Reportedly born in Bithynia, modern day Turkey, Antinous quickly became an indispensable part of the emperor’s entourage. Whatever their relationship, when Antinous died in Egypt on 24 October, 130 (AD) Hadrian was completely devastated. He named the city of Antinoopolis after him, and even went as far as deifying the young man.

Interestingly, while Antinous was featured extensively on eastern provincial coinage, especially from Bithynia and Egypt, he was never pictured on official coinage issued by the central Roman authorities. Interestingly, according to Speller in her 2003 book Following Hadrian: A Second-Century Journey through the Roman Empire, over 31 cities struck such coins.