EGYPT. Alexandria. Hadrian, 117-138. Obol (Bronze, 20 mm, 5.16 g, 12 h), Menelaite nome, RY 11 = 126/7. ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΑΙ ΑΔΡΙΑ CЄΒ Laureate head of Hadrian to right, with slight drapery on his left shoulder.
Rev. ΜЄΝЄΛΑΙ / L ΙΑ Youthful male deity standing front, head to left, holding small figure of Harpokrates with the lower body of a crocodile in his right hand and reed in his left. Dattari (Savio) pl. 305, 292 = RPC III online 6447.7 (
this coin). Emmett 1265.11. K&G 31.6. Extremely rare. Fine.
From the collection of Eric ten Brink, ex Naville E-Auction 27, 27 November 2016, 316, and that of G. Dattari (1853-1923).
This coin forms part of the 'nome coinage', struck under several emperors starting from Domitian and ending with Antoninus Pius. The division of Egypt into nomes (smaller districts) had its roots in the pharaonic administration, but continued to be used in the Graeco-Roman period. On the reverse of the obols struck by Hadrian (probably for the emperor's decennalia), the respective nomes are identified through the legend and a local deity is depicted.
This coin was struck for the Menelaites, so named after Menelaos, the brother of Ptolemy I. It shows a personification of the nome on the reverse, holding a small figure of Harpokrates with the lower body of a crocodile. Harpokrates was sometimes conflated with the crocodile god, Sobek, reflecting the great abundance of crocodiles living in the Nile Delta in Antiquity.
