CORINTHIA. Corinth. Antinoüs, died 130. Medallion (Bronze, 42 mm, 37.90 g, 6 h), Hostilios Markellos, priest of the cult of Antinoüs, circa 134. OCTIΛIOC MAPKЄΛΛOC O IЄPЄYC TOY ANTINOOY Bare-headed and draped bust of Antinoüs to right. Rev. [KOPIN]ΘIO[IC ANЄΘHKE] Helios, radiate, driving fast biga to left, holding whip in his right hand and reins in his left. Blum p. 36, 3 and pl. I, 15 = Pudill M93 (same dies, but tooled). Extremely rare, the third known example and the only one in private hands. A very interesting piece. Fine.


Pudill rightly notes that the Vienna example shown by Blum has been tooled, but he is wrong in suggesting that the reverse has been significantly altered ('neuzeitliche Gravur' [...] 'möglicherweise verfälscht'). In fact, the emergence of our example proves that the regrettable tooling on the coin in Vienna is restricted to the fields and the enhancement of the details, but the types are otherwise unchanged. Hostilios Markellos was, as the legend says, a priest of the cult of Antinoüs who sponsored a series of medallions to the Corinthians and to the Achaian Koinon, respectively (Blum pp. 35-37). Unfortunately, no other sources record his name, but it becomes clear from his position and generosity that he must have been a particularly wealthy individual to whom the cult of Antinoüs personally mattered, not least because it gave him the opportunity to act as an euergetes and thus boast his own fame in his native region.